Tokyo Kushu:Aftermath
by o Hikari o
Summary: This takes place three days after the events of chapter 143.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1  
**

* * *

The 20th ward lies battle scarred, eerie and quiet under the morning sky.

The remains of humans and ghouls, lie side by side scattered, equal at least, in death.

A body lies under the cover unconscious; to the untrained eye, a corpse.

Rubble and dying flowers shield the being from approaching light; snow white hair remains untainted by the surrounding foliage.

The face is ashen...the eyes, dark chasms, unable to reflect the morning's light.

Here Kaneki drifts listlessly...a mind and body worn down to silence.

* * *

The sound of rustling leaves reveals the form of a young man; He sits and watches cautiously, hidden from view under the leaves.

He scans the area slowly until a gust of wind reveals the object of his search.

He hovered over Kaneki now, a dark mask hiding any traces of reaction.

He touched the cold skin with a caring hand, relief plain in his hunched shoulders.

He lifted him then, moving swiftly to the safety of a building.

His next task consisted of placing the body into a suitcase, rolling it to an opening in one of the walls. It lead to something that should not have been there, an elevator of sorts. He lowered them down via two thick wires, pulling with force until they reached the bottom.

The smell of sewage is distinct.

Following the winding system, a light at the end of a tunnel opens to the outside; a blue sky, fresh air and the slosh of water.

Beneath the mouth of the tunnel, a boat lie fastened to flat rocks.

He expertly positions it on the water, guiding himself and the case inside before starting the engine.

The ride is smooth and quiet, no one on the water, no one following behind. The two ride for several hours, passing harbors and cities. He opened the suitcase, watching the face that roiled in a tortured sleep. He ruffled the snow white hair affectionately, smiling at the sigh in response.

When the sun reached its zenith, the boy gradually approached land.

The city they come upon is small; corporate buildings being the only marker to separate it from the countryside.

The harbor lacks the sophistication of the ones they'd past over their travel; It is simple, with modest boats swaying lazily with the current. The young man inhaled, the exhale releasing all of the tension of the last several hours; He took the hat off shielding his eyes from the sun, honey blonde hair flowing freely in the wind.

Light brown eyes brighten at the sight of the city; they mirror relief, happiness and nostalgia.

In the distance, a group of elderly men sat fishing on the edge.

He greeted them with a wave and a smile.

"You don't see many like yourself these days...young water travelers." The man said warmly, a bright smile on his face.

The young man smiled; politely, skillfully. "I spent a summer here when I was younger, the best one of my life...Thought I'd pay it a visit."

The young man sat with them a while then, exchanging pleasantries and throwing in a joke here and there. He told them as much as he could without lying and was sure to keep the conversation geared mostly towards themselves.

Sent off with warm wishes, he traveled further into the city, a suitcase in one hand, frozen fish in the other.

He passed high end stores and mom &amp; pop operations; he strolled through parks, past a mall or two and made his way to the rural areas of the city; public transportation was too risky.

The neighborhood he entered was warm and inviting. The sights he saw brought memories that made him smile, if only for a moment.

He met with a tall gate, flanked densely with out of place pines...they straddled the ascending land to the top of a hill, where the faint view of a rooftop could be seen. The young man stood calmly as his presence initiated a strange reaction: the metal plate holding the handle to the gate, opened up, like a door.

The young man placed his thumb inside the small compartment, wincing as a mechanism inside drew blood.

A small screen displayed DNA helices...there was a 'match-up' and then, a sound.

The gate creaked open slowly then, allowing him inside.

* * *

Inhaling the scent of daisies, he ascended the path, leading to a dark wood abode.

"I'm home." He said, the echo of the call causing bitter laughter in response. He knew there would be no one to respond...but he could dream.

The home was quiet and smelled of carnations and oranges.

The lights turned on with the young man's movement as he entered each room alone, the suitcase remaining half open at the base of the stairs.

Each room was decorated as if belonging to a specific person, to a specific memory in time. He scanned the faces in the pictures without a smile, with no light in his usually playful eyes.

The home was well kept, with no dust on any surface. With a verbal command, coverings on the windows folded in on themselves, revealing the bright light of day.

Color had slowly begun to return to the pale face; the young man smiled at this, hoisting the boy onto his back from the open case.

"You know, I wanted to show you this place. I thought it'd be fun to hang out here this summer."He said jovially, walking down the hall.

"I guess you finally made it here...Just, not the way I intended." He finished

He felt the fragile form like glass beneath him and shivered.

The pale young man was weak, injured, and mentally in turmoil... but that was also a joke...Even with all that, this person, could...easily...

He shook his head of the thoughts creeping up on him.

"Of course I'd act like this, there _is_ a powerful ghoul on my back...What human wouldn't freak, just a little...Forgive me, okay?"He rattled off to the unconscious face, lying the battered body onto soft cushions.

He sterilized each wound then, knowing bandaging them was unnecessary and cleaned off the blood that had stained the body completely.

Hoisting him onto his back again, he entered the bathroom, returning sometime later with more color flooding them both.

Changing the sheets, he put the young man into bed, eyes lighting with warmth as the shallow breathes became deeper.

He smiled, ruffling the snow white hair. "Wake up soon."

* * *

Time endlessly passed, as Kaneki drifted in the disorder of his mind.

The flesh he consumed echoed with the life within it; it tore at his skull with an angry roar, burning through his organs like flames of vengeance.

And so a sliver of himself hid in the smallest crevice, in the tiniest crack of his mind, begging the monsters to go away...

The memories of their lives tore him in two; twisted, bound and broke him.

Seeking convergence, they endlessly gnawed; _their_ grotesque desires, t_heir_ evil thoughts; _his_ desires, _his_ thoughts.

And then there was the God of Death, with his bloody eyes in cruel hands. He bellowed endlessly a sickening tune: _All ghouls are born for hell to consume._

_A thousand minds to taint, a thousand bones to break_...

He wished his mother's voice could comfort him, he wished that Rize would come to him then...but he was beyond the reach of all of them; _he_ was his only consolation now..._him, kaneki._

Struggling against the deluge of trauma, he clawed to the surface of sanity once more.

He croaked dryly, the only name and memory he could conjure.

_"K...e..n...Ka..ne..ki" _He rasped, the chaos threatening to engulf him, taking shape, taking form.

_"Ke..n...Kan...eki!" _He said again, the form growing sharper, more distinct...

**"Ken... Kaneki!**"-

He yelled his name with a last ounce of strength, sending the torrents of chaos to a single point...

* * *

His mind became still then, all the chaos taking on one form.

A light shined in the dark of his mind.

It was... himself.

Yes, if he were much older.

This Kaneki had long hair, extending like spider silk, a shimmering white.

The champagne colored eyes glittered with something powerful, something he wished he had in himself...the self he was now.

"_Centipede..."_ Kaneki said to the person before him, unsure of what that made him, standing across; those being the first words to come to his mind.

_"Is that what they're calling us? I wonder why?" _The side of himself called 'Centipede' said lightly.

Kaneki looked around in the dark of his mind

"Because we...it..."

_...It crawled, scratched, stung us! Because we ate __**IT**__! Because we look like __**IT**__! Because it wiggled and gnawed and burned and squirmed and ate! ate! ate!-_

Aberrations in his mind began to destroy the quiet.

Slender hands reached out to him then, the 'Centipede' held his face; Eyes, still pools. "You're bat shit crazy, you know that?" He said with a chuckle.

"Unless you want a storm; **Look at me**..."

The aberrations stopped.

"I'm here now, for what its worth." The Centipede said lightly, pulling the exhausted form of his younger self to his feet.

"Who..." He started weakly

Centipede pulled away then, soaring through the darkness of his mind. "You could call me another voice in your head...but I'm sure to be the best you've ever had." He replied

"We won't listen to mama anymore, or that fox Rize, or that truly fucked up fucker Yamori...We'll listen to us now...More importantly, the Us that's been lying dormant this whole time..." He finished "It's time to evolve, Kaneki."

Kaneki sat; wherever he was and took in this new addition to the 'party' in his head.

"Yes, Kaneki, the human not the ghoul, has been in control during your rampages, using our body as a tool. These aberrations will stop once you...how can I put this... _wake us up_." The Centipede had rattled off, leaving Kaneki to pick up at the end of it.

"What?-

The Centipede was inches from his face in the time it took to blink...Up close...he was serene...beautiful. "I was saying that there is a requirement for evolution...and your level of consumption has passed the threshold. In response, I have awakened, I am, the ghoul's brain."

Kaneki sat devoid of reaction, he didn't believe a word he was saying to himself...he was always saying things to himself.

It didn't look like he was waking anytime soon and this fragment of his mind was much better than dealing with-_A thousand minds to taint! A thousand bones to break!_

"Kaneki." The Centipede called in a chiding tone, rousing him again from the aberrations.

He appreciated the ability of this illusion to quiet his mind, as thanks, he would at least hear him out.

"A ghoul's evolution is proportionate to the level of mental acuity it has, but many rarely use the ghoul's brain, aside from the reptilian functions of reproduction, self defense and finding nourishment.

Intellect, deduction, the sixth sense and others, remain largely dormant...I'm telling you that the level of mental strain and nourishment you've accumulated has awakened part of your true brain as this species...Is this making any sense? or am I wasting my time?" Centipede barked, clearly aware of the grain of salt way he was being handled.

Kaneki sighed, lying down in the black space "I'm listening." He said in between yawns...He might never enjoy such peaceful sleep again.

The Centipede frowned "Think what you want, but I'm not lying to you." "I'll continue, for _our_ benefit at least..."

"In this state of dormancy in the ghoul's brain and the human mind trying to hold them both together, you have a recipe for psychological disaster. Of course you get schizophrenia, of course you go mad...You're body is functioning with a brain of a completely different species." He finished

Kaneki sat up then, glad for the instruction to end but feeling annoyed at what it implied.

"So...what will using the ghoul's brain do? Will it bring back those I've lost? Will it give me the strength to overcome any enemy?" He snapped; he had enough voices for one lifetime, he wasn't about to subscribe to one that thought it was himself.

"This is a waste of time, you're not like the others, you're smart...so go away and give me peace." Kaneki finished

The Centipede was quiet a moment...Thinking.

"Think God of Death...times 4..." The Centipede said simply, floating in the space above Kaneki.

Kaneki looked at him intently.

"I'm saying, all that you think the man who has that title is; is what you can be using the right organ for this body. You think you can save anyone the way you are now?" The Centipede asked; the question was posed to make him think.

Kaneki bite his lip, frustration pooled in his eyes.

"You're broken, in mind and body." The Centipede stated frankly, realizing some children needed luring with vinegar and not honey.

"Truth be told, You're a schizophrenic cannibal with separation issues, and a twisted case of the hero-complex. Not to mention, you're blind as a bat because Special class ass-hole Arima gouged our eyes out to power his new quinque. But you still think you're superman...?" He trailed off

"Give me a break." He continued, all vestiges of patience gone. "Should you run back to the 20th ward with no plan? Endanger everyone by seeking them out? Eat enough ghouls so that our kakuja swallows us whole?" The Centipede questioned, standing before his younger self who was now rapt with attention.

"I..."

Kaneki is startled by a powerful feeling.

The surge of excitement, pleasure and energy causes him to look around in the expanse of his mind, which now swirls, a menagerie of colors and bursting patterns. "I... feel my body..."

"Hm...looks like someone is giving us a feast." the Centipede said, taking Kaneki and lifting him above the stream of lights and colors.

"Up you go...we'll talk later."

* * *

Kaneki felt the full force of his nourishment when he became aware of his body, the sweetness in his mouth was wonderful; it was warm, it was sincere. That was funny, he hadn't perceived emotions from anything he consumed in such great detail before, they were usually chaotic and full of fear...his fear. The fear of making a terrible mistake and consuming his own kind...That was gone now, he felt it was okay to take this...this...Who was it?

He reached out his hands, wrapping them around the warm source of his bliss.

He wouldn't be violent, he didn't need to be, this one would give him, all of the-

"...neki...ka.."

It was talking, whatever it was, it was talking...saying his name.

"Just...a little..." Kaneki murmured gently, in between suckling and biting softly.

He heard a low rumble...laughter.

The scent he was wrapped in became clearer, it was soothing and familiar to him...He would know it anywhere...It was a friend. This gave him comfort...and terror.

Kaneki careened into the wall of the bedroom with a startled shriek.

Pleasure and terror suffused him, he could not see; it shocked him at first. He fell to the floor, blind to the voice trying to reach out to him. He knew what this was, he was causing aberrations again...Kaneki stilled himself. "Kaneki Ken." He whispered, the affirmation sending ripples through his mind.

"Yeah, that's your name." A voice replied, a smile hidden in the tone.

He put his hand before his face, so his eyes had been taken. Still, he heard the voice, light as air and he inhaled...

He could smell furniture polish, carpet lint, human food; And he could hear...the dripping of a sink, the scurrying of a mouse in the attic, the flap of a moth's wings in the crawl space.

Kaneki moved his head towards the voice and inhaled just a bit before relief flooded his entire being...it was indeed a dear friend, a dear friend that he had not killed.

Kaneki smiled, unsure of how it looked on his face but wanting to show his happiness in some small way. A warm hand embraced his and pulled him to his feet, he leaned in, embracing the person who had saved him once again.

"Hide..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Kaneki looked at, well, he could not see him but could 'see' in a different way, the best friend now sitting beside him on the bed. He could smell the scent, hear the heart beat, sense the twitch of every muscle...It was Hide...his Hide, he knew in a way his eyes could never tell him.

Hide smiled, bringing himself close to the bandaged eyes. "Glad you're awake...I was getting worried." He said lightly

The tone was sincere, but still a lie; Kaneki could tell.

His heart was racing, he had tension in his throat, he could smell the faint aroma of salt.

"Hide...Don't cry..." He began, finding himself thrust into his friend's arms.

"I'm not crying!" Hide barked, bursting into tears seconds later. Kaneki relished the affectionate embrace, letting the warm beads slide down his skin.

It felt nice...for someone to worry over him...to care for him despite what he was...Hide most of all.

Hide regained his composure, Kaneki could tell from the heaving of his chest.

"Welcome back, Kaneki." Hide said; Kaneki recognized the stretch of muscle around the mouth to be a smile.

He smiled in return "I'm back."

Hide led them out of the room and throughout the house, amused as Kaneki moved slowly and sniffed everything. "You'd make a cute puppy, Kaneki...I'd call you...Ken-chi." He chirped

Kaneki frowned "That's not funny, who'd make a cute puppy?" He snapped lightly, feeling immense comfort from the simple exchange.

He was glad for the tour; everything had a scent, a feel and he was storing them for future reference. Kaneki hadn't factored out that they could be attacked where they were and he hadn't been told the where, who or the how yet. The two found their way outside to the backyard.

Dense green trees surrounded them, jutting high into the sky, revealing a large circular opening of blue sky and sun light. He smelled oranges and flowers...He wished in that moment that he could taste oranges...they would only make him sick now.

He felt a pulse, the vibration of muscle, the intake of breathe...Hide was up to something...He felt the jump, the muscles flex, heard the rustle of leaves and heard the oranges fall to the ground.

"Kaneki! Best oranges in the world, these right here!" he yelled cheerfully

Kaneki picked up the orange, feeling the texture, appreciating the scent.

He could tell that Hide was pleased; He couldn't eat it but that didn't mean he couldn't appreciate it.

"I will keep this...at least until it browns, then I'll give it to the birds." Kaneki said, placing the orange on the wooden bench they sat on.

The two sat quietly, enjoying a comfortable silence amidst a warm breeze.

Kaneki listened peacefully to the scents and sounds that surrounded him. He knew what trees looked like and so when he heard them swaying, his mind's eye painted the picture vividly. He could hear Hide peeling the orange, the juice leaking from every bite into the fruit...He could see it...even without seeing it.

In this moment, it seemed like the events of several months had never occurred, the people, mere illusions. If only he could stay like this...If only he could gather those he loved and enjoy the beauty of this place...but he knew, from the pain in his heart, that this could not last...He would have to rouse himself from the reprieve he'd been given and steel himself in heart and mind...To discover the truth, to right the wrongs done to him and to fight.

"Kaneki?"

Kaneki is roused from his darker thoughts by Hide's concerned tone. He waved away the reaction. "I was just thinking." He said "I love it here, I remember you told me about your parents having a summer home like this." He continued "...I wish I could stay here..." Kaneki trailed off

Hide looked searchingly into the face that was still so familiar.

"You _can_ stay here, consider it our new home." Hide said, patting him on the back

"But-"

"I got into some trouble... My place has probably been raided already; I got all the important things, but I thought it was better to get off the 20th's grid for a while." The guy rattled off

"Where are we now then?" Kaneki asked, the question had been gnawing at him for quite some time.

"We're on a POLM called 'Luna'." Hide replied, grinning when he got a face full of confusion.

"POLM stands for: Privately Owned Land Mass; This one is called Luna...They're sovereign bodies and execute their own policies. The CCG has no jurisdiction here since the only one's running the show are those with the money to buy one." Hide began

"Such a place, exists?" Kaneki was shocked...Someone buying and running a small city was...

"What about ghouls? How do they keep everyone safe?" Kaneki questioned in alarm; Such a place, without overseeing 'doves' would seem like a hotspot for blood, mayhem and death.

"Luna does have an organization of its own, seperate from the CCG with training and hierarchy methods of its own; The Inter-species Regulation Force (IRF).

They have agents called Regulators; In world statistics, Regulators always come well above average in comparison to Doves. In combat, intel and overall organization, they are labeled one of the best in the world." Hide added, pride in his voice.

"Then why-" Kaneki started

"Because... the POLM Luna... is taboo, a contradiction, an abomination...the black sheep."

"This POLM was purchased by both ghouls and humans...they run it side by side and the two, live here openly."

Kaneki gaped..."That's not possible." Wondering if this was another one of his 'trips'.

Hide chuckled "Your right, its not and that's why the media has wiped Luna and most POLM's completely out of public awareness. Most only find them through a stroke of luck, or certain familial ties. You see nothing of POLM's on tv, in radio, or books because its a PR blockade set up by the CCG's tops_._"

To Kaneki, the information was straight out of left field, but it was slowly giving him ideas...a plan of sorts. "Go on..." He pressed

"Luna has very strict rules; the death penalty is the only penalty here; Its a long, arduous process to get here, unless you know how to get past smoke and mirrors. Your tested biologically and psychologically before you're allowed to enter and then the price is pretty hefty to gain citizenship. Still, this place, places like it, are archetypes, guides for the future..."

"Between human...and ghoul..." Kaneki finished, feeling bewildered and inspired all at once; He had to see it, to explore it...this bridge between human and ghoul, a place where Hinami-chan could live in peace...Where Nishiki and Kimi could live without fear, where Touka..._Touka_..."

Kaneki looked up into the blue sky...

"How did you get us here, then, Hide?" The conversation continued

"Me? Well...Let's just say I have some of those familial connections and I'm a master of smoke and mirrors." He said quickly, changing the subject to other things.

Kaneki let it be; he realized he didn't know that much about his best friend...but in this place, he might find out.

"So you really carried me around in a suitcase?" Kaneki questioned, finding it amusing. "No one was even a little suspicious?" He said, chuckling

"Nope!" Hide replied, accomplishment clear in his tone. "I wore cool shades, camouflage and used secret passages and everything." He rattled off, standing with emotion "All to save my dear snow white!" He chirped happily

"Snow-?

"Yep! This new look, I like it...You're like snow." Hide explained, ruffling his friend's head gently.

Kaneki flushed at the attention he was being given.

It was inviting to the point of painfulness. His heart ached and he brushed away Hide's hand, only to be pulled into a tight embrace, one that might have made it hard to breathe if he was all human. Hide looked into his friend's face, determination clear. "Kaneki." Hide said, concern clear in his voice.

Kaneki smiled

"Don't worry, Hide." He said lightly, easily sliding from the tight embrace. "And don't freak out if I get lost in my thoughts... If you're here, then I'll always come back."

Hide beamed, embracing him tightly again "Aww, Kenchi!"

Lazing on the warm bench, sleep overtook Kaneki; he drifted lazily, Hide following close behind.

In the midst of dreams, he found the Centipede; He decided he would indulge this part of his mind and attempt to awaken the 'ghoul's brain'.

What the Centipede had said was true, he was in no state to run back to the 20th ward...What would he do? He might bring more trouble by seeking everyone out; it could cause another seige of doves...and he couldn't bear that. No, running in blindly, only fighting your way through everything would accomplish nothing, he had learned that the hard way.

Cold calculation, powerful deduction, the skills it took to expertly manipulate, expertly plan...He needed those.

The Centipede said he could start this by eating right; Come to think of it, what was he eating?

In typical fashion, his session with the part of his mind that housed the complete ghoul brain, or, the Centipede, was interrupted by wonderful pleasure.

He always woke feeling amazing, and Hide seemed fine. Still, after several days, he decided to confront him about it in the one place he couldn't hide.

The two entered the unusually large bath entering the steaming waters with a sigh.

Kaneki could smell something masking a wound; the waterproof bandage, wrapped around his shoulder. There was no way he could say he fell since Kaneki would have heard when it happened and people didn't just injure their shoulders like that.

"Hide...Where did you get that injury?" Kaneki asked quietly

"This? From feeding your face." Hide replied easily, taking him by surprise.

"I-" Kaneki started, worried, embarrassed.

"I feed you when you're sleeping." Hide added, expression growing displeased at the look of mental turmoil taking hold of his friend.

"Look!" Hide barked, startling Kaneki from his thoughts "You're not taking a bite out of me...I pump blood from this area." He finished

Kaneki frowned "But I taste more than blood, Hide...flesh too." He said, wanting the full truth.

Hide sighed, the rise and fall of muscle indicating a shrug to Kaneki's senses.

"Turns out, racoons are a great substitute for human meat...and only racoons. A lot of ghouls use it here to completely free themselves from dependency on human flesh...They can drink blood in moderate quantities without killing anyone." Hide finished

Kaneki was silent.

Was Hide serious? From the heart rate he could tell he wasn't lying.

He felt relief at the information. He had grown used to consuming ghoul flesh for power but he'd never awaken his ghoul brain using what was akin to steroids; granting power but at the cost of sanity and physical health.

This was great news...He could live without ever needing to kill a human...but blood however...


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

The days went by effortlessly and each day Kaneki grew stronger in a different way.

He spent his nights learning one powerful function of the ghoul's brain: the ability to control Rc cells; the Centipede said that if he mastered it; he could create an entirely new kagune.

He spent his mornings with Hide, learning the ins and outs of what he called being a 'master spy'. Certain things he said though, gave him the suspicion there was a mass file titled "Kaneki" somewhere in his virtual 'collections'...Hide laughed nervously when he said it.

He spent time learning about the P.O.L.M Luna and the ghoul/human organization: IRF (Inter-species Regulation Force).

He asked Hide for more information but for some reason he'd change the subject to other things.

The next day though, he'd brought him books on the organization in braille; He'd spent the next couple of days tirelessly learning to read it.

Kaneki felt at home with Hide, living together was natural, even being what he was.

They bantered, fussed, debated and talked about many things. They laughed and sometimes, cried, for one reason or another.

He never knew why Hide did it...it was always a heavy sob, as if the weight of a world was in his hands and he'd dropped it. He knew that it would be a while before he found out why but they were closer than they'd been in all the time they had been friends.

Staring passively at the ceiling, enjoying another sleepless night, Kaneki heard the attempts at tip-toeing and the ruffle of blankets. He couldn't be...

"Ka-ne-kii!"

The mattress dipped as Hide flopped onto the bed. Kaneki sat up.

"Hide, you know something like this won't work." He chided

Hide pouted "Come on Kaneki, you're fine when we're in the bath." He challenged

"That's when I'm awake." He protested; there was no telling what he'd say or do in his sleep; fear and embarrassment were a concern.

"You're full though." Hide said simply, stumping his friend into silence.

"But thats not the only reason." Kaneki said, his tone, growing serious.

Hide sighed, moving towards the edge of the bed. "You know, it really sucks when you let everyone else in but me." He said quietly

Kaneki looked towards him.

"That's not true and you know it...but this isn't about me is it? There's another reason you're in here." He replied; he would address that comment another time.

Hide blinked "I don't know what your talking about."

Kaneki knew better.

"If you're afraid of ghosts, why watch an entire season of A Haunting?...You watched it all day today, I heard you." He stated simply

The smell of blood rushing to his cheeks told Kaneki he hit the nail on the head; Flushing with embarrassment, Hide resigned himself to laugh it off. "Thats...not...true..." He trailed off.

Kaneki laughed, the idea of him not being afraid of a ghoul or tailing dangerous criminals, but of a movie, being very hilarious. Hide frowned, Kaneki felt the muscle movements. "Its not that..." He tried to protest, failing miserably.

"Its just, you know...in case anything's been here...I've got you to...ya know..."

Kaneki laughed out loud then.

"Are you gonna let me in or not?" Hide barked

Kaneki nodded, smiling "Sure...I'll always protect you, Hide."

Hide grinned, throwing the large blanket over them both and settling in.

The rush of Hide's scent was comforting; the extra warmth, the sounds of twisting and turning, the lull of deep sighs: It was a strange lullaby, one he'd never known until now; his status as an only child left much to be desired. He relished in the lullaby for only a short time before falling prey to it.

He imagined that this, was what having a brother was like.

* * *

Kaneki rose early; his mind and body mended to a point it hadn't seen in months.

Truth be told, he may have been training with a figment of his imagination but it was bringing results. The day before, he tapped into the portion of his ghoul brain that did what the centipede called 'search'. He had nearly mapped the entire city with the session.

All of his interest was geared towards IRF at the moment. Reading about their international recognition and certain privileges they were granted even as ghouls was making becoming a Regulator more and more of a plan of action. The IRF had people behind it from all over the world and people in key positions of power.

He could investigate the doctor freely and gain intel on many people of interest to him. Their massive database on ghoul criminal activity was second to none.

The most important thing though, was that he could come there as both human and ghoul; It seemed like madness but he wanted to see a place where ghoul and human fought side by side.

Kaneki heard Hide in the kitchen.

He conducted his typical survey of his friend, using his senses to percieve any injuries, deficiencies or chemical imbalances as a result of feeding him. He seemed well, but could use more b12 in his diet. He wouldn't say anything though; how he knew it was b12 was a mystery to even himself. Hide was eating breakfast, it smelled good, he could still enjoy the human sense of smell.

"Morning Hide." Kaneki said, taking a seat at the counter table

"Morning!" Hide returned, mouth full of food.

Laying his hand on the table, Kaneki felt the vibration of each item...Toaster, plates, syrup...His survey stopped, something new was on the counter today.

"Hide-" He started

"Ja-ja! I hope you can use it...its not state of the art of anything." Hide replied

Kaneki felt the familiar form of an espresso machine, he felt a grinder, and a clothe bag of coffee beans...

"I thought you might miss it..." He added

Kaneki smiled, the smile quickly fading as what it meant to make coffee this way sent a rush of longing and hurt.

He embraced the feelings; This was a symbol of happier times and a place where he belonged; something he would surely gain again. After making a cup for the two of them, they sat in silence, remembering. After a time, Hide spoke.

"Today, we're going out." He said, catching him by surprise.

During his entire time he hadn't once seen the city of Luna or stepped off the grounds; they were so large that he strolled around but he'd never ventured out into the open.

In fact, for some reason he could never find the exit. For whatever reason, Hide felt it was time he got to see the city and he agreed; He wouldn't know if he truly better until he was face to face with his home again but for now he was mended enough to interact with others.

Hide led them through the grounds, stopping at the front of the gate which, with some strange maneuvers on Hide's part, gave them passage to the outside world.

* * *

Kaneki looked around fascinated.

The leisurely walk through the neighborhood revealed the scents of both human and ghoul families; some that were both. The mail man was a ghoul; the meat delivery guy was a human; the paper boy was a ghoul adopted by humans.

He was greeted by both kinds and listened in as the two had common conversations over various things. It had startled him when he felt someone's kagune, but the stranger thing was the reason it was activated...to rescue a cat from a tree.

His mind was currently focused on the field of a day care center; he figured as much because they smelled like children and there were a lot of them. Both human and ghoul were playing together; he listened in on the innocent interactions.

No they didn't hide their kakugan, yes they could take out their kagune, Hide had told him.

He smelled sandwiches; with two different meats. They ate side by side and no one seemed to mind. He laughed as he heard one child being berated for not eating properly; so even ghoul children played with their food.

Kaneki was enthralled by the scene before him...Here it was-

"Kaneki."

He heard the tone; Was he drawing attention to himself? He inhaled, yes, yes he was. He hadn't realized how long he was focused on the children or how it might look.

Their leisurely pace brought them through a park; the scent of ghoul and human was so intertwined as to be a scent all its own.

It was moving at an alarming rate, straight for Hide, Kaneki caught the scent; it was a ghoul.

"Well, if it isn't the king of the mountain!" A cheerful voice bellowed.

"Isaki!" Hide said cheerfully, the two shaking hands warmly

"Where've you been? We thought you'd gone and died...or, you know..." Isaki trailed off

"No way." Hide replied, turning to Kaneki "I've brought someone, this is Kaneki; I'm giving him a tour." Hide said brightly

The ghoul named Isaki moved closer towards Kaneki; He could feel himself being sized up, being inspected as only one ghoul could do to another. The swallow from the ghoul indicated nervousness...Did he think he meant to harm him? Sensing the tension rising in Hide, he quit their silent assessment; to someone else it might look like a death stare before a brawl.

"Nice to meet you, Isaki." Kaneki offered, extending his hand in the place he knew it would reach him.

Isaki met the hand cautiously, relaxing when it turned out to be just another hand. He smiled. "Nice to meet you, Kaneki."

With nothing further to discuss, the two parted ways; Kaneki could tell there was something that Isaki had wanted to say, but his presence had made him uncomfortable.

The two had stopped in a shopping district and were sitting on a bench when Kaneki thought he'd ask. "Is Isaki a childhood friend?"

Hide thought on it. "I guess." His reply was surprisingly short.

"And the king of the mountain?" Kaneki continued, the title sounded like a childhood moniker but for some reason, it also didn't sound like one.

"Who knows." Hide said lightly

Kaneki sighed, so Hide wanted to be mysterious.

* * *

It was well past midnight when he got up.

Getting past Hide was easy, replacing his spot in the bed with pillows; The one night he allowed him to sleep in bed had turned quickly to an everyday habit...but he was finally able to sleep at night so he would let it continue.

The moon was high when he made it to the grounds of their home. Dark shadows cast strange shapes and he couldn't seem, for the life of him, to find the exit. Hide had led them through the winding path many times before and each time led them to the gate from a different way. Time was not on his side;

Scaling the trees was easy and soon he stood over the stretch of pines, eyes on the horizon where buildings lit the night.

He leaped from his perch atop them; his kagune carrying him through the air silently; he had learned the ability to 'read': another aspect of the ghoul brain. Reading air currents, bending and weaving his kagune into them...he had learned to fly.

Houses blurred past him and he ignored the scents of foul play in the dark; no one told him the place was perfect.

He landed quietly in the trees surrounding the reflective building. Hide said that it was only open at night, the IRF's Headquarters.

He covered his eyes with a band of black silk; he couldn't wear two eye patches Hide had joked and so made it for him; it felt better than the bandages.

He walked up the stone stairs, pausing before the glass door's sensor; He could sense no danger and it didn't feel like anyone was paying him any mind. He entered casually and crouched, placing his fingers on the glass floor a moment to 'see'.

The large lobby was bare; wall to wall glass and couches its only features. He smelled a human far ahead of him; it was a young woman; she smelled of flowers. He approached her and heard the familiar tense of muscle; He smiled in return.

"I was told you're only open at night, I just moved here and I wanted to know if you gave any tours." Kaneki said politely, if he could get what he wanted the nice way, he would.

He heard strokes on a keyboard and the clicks of a mouse; she was searching for something.

"Unfortunately that's usually during the day." She said; it sounded sincere

"Then, what goes on at night?" Kaneki continued.

"Well, all Regulators are sent on assignments an-

"What's that over there!?" Kaneki yelled, painting the features of alarm as best he could.

He heard the muscles twist; she had turned her head.

He leaped past her then, hitting the switch that opened the face of the glass walls: the inner sanctum of the IRF. He moved swiftly then, gliding through dimly lit halls and reflective walls, nothing stood out. No names, numbers or titles on the doors, not a single sound, no security, no cameras.

He stopped then, bringing his palms to the walls...they were made to block a ghoul's senses; That's what his gut told him. Walking casually then, he picked up what he could. Apparently this place was made so that even if a ghoul entered, they wouldn't have anymore advantage than a human.

As he wandered the halls, his nose picked up on something, very faintly; it was coffee.

He followed it carefully, losing it a few times before he found the secret. There were places in the walls, in the slits of the reflective faces that he could use as markers to guide him. After searching via the weak points he found what he was looking for: voices in a heated

discussion. He took off the vent face adjacent to it, climbing in and moving slowly.

The voices grew louder until he was right above them; he prayed the vents were also made of the material that dulled his senses; if anyone of them was a ghoul below, he'd be found out before he had a chance to listen in.

"I'm telling you they're out of control! They're the only ones still doing things like barbarians!" Kaneki heard someone yell; now directly above them, listening in on the discussion.

"Hundreds of ghouls are born each day all over the world...It's not something you can contain! lock em all up? Is that the solution?!" Said another

"They're killing because they have no choice! There isn't even an outlet for them!" yelled a young woman, banging a fist on the glass table in frustration.

"Fukui-kun, Goro-san, Akiyama... calm yourselves." A woman warned

The man called Goro snorted "All I'm saying, is the CCG follows an outdated philosophy; every ward they run has seen unusual amounts of crime, regardless of how many they lock up and/or kill."

"Well, blood isn't bathing the streets there, they might not be perfect but they are making progress." Someone new added, the voice an elderly woman's.

Someone laughed.

"Progress? So that blood bath in the 20th ward was progress? I don't believe that, Inoue-san." the man called Fukui said bitterly

Kaneki had confirmed it; the IRF did keep tabs on the CCG...What the discussion was leading up to was a different matter entirely.

"It was stupid, Is what it was." stated the woman called Akiyama; she sounded like the youngest of them. "They went and attacked the most peaceful ward they've got...I don't understand." She added, exasperation in her voice.

"Its no news that there were key person's of interest that were there in hiding; Namely, the one eyed Owl and the Owl King. It had also become a hot spot for the workings of Aogiri. Something was coming together from the shadows and that ward just happened to be in the thick of it." Inoue said softly, her aged voice gentle, but carrying no sympathy.

Kaneki heard the shuffle of papers; someone was pulling something out.

"I want to talk about another point of interest." A new voice said, it was an older man.

"Ito-kun...Is it about Case 007A?" Inoue asked, gaining everyone's attention.

Ito sighed "Its...not pretty."

"Its about the SS ranked half Kakuja, The Centipede." Ito said seriously

This piqued Kaneki's interest; Why was he a case in one of their databases?

He listened on and heard nothing surprising save for the fact that they had found his human identity. Yes, he was a university student, yes he'd been lured in by the ghoul Rize Kamishiro, yes he'd had her organs implanted into him, yes he was an artificial hybrid...and so on...he knew these things, first hand.

The familiar drawl started to put him to sleep when two words roused him to full awareness.

"...his father..."

What about his father? His father loved books, he died when he was young, he barely remembered him; but the words that he had simply died when he was young, was not what he heard.

Ito cleared his throat, seeming to be torn with what he was about to say. "His father was involved in some interesting things. It was the reason he died young and the mother had to live poorly in hiding with the boy. I'll leave it at that until I've discovered more."

What about his father? What interesting things? Is that why his mother could never find better jobs? It seemed his life was full of secrets, one more added to the bunch.

"We can't let the CCG continue like this..." Goro said

"But we have no way in; The Regulators assigned must be citizens of that ward." Fukui said in response

"Whose going to voluntarily join the IRF there? People are different in those districts; the world of ghouls and doves has made many lose hope of ever bridging the gap." Akiyama said

"Oi oi, you act like we're coming to make peace." A new voice said from the corner of the room. "The only difference between the Doves and us is that we give an ultimatum before we kill. Has it ever occurred to you that we're worse? We kill every ghoul we find guilty; They at least put some of them in jail."

"You're as frank as ever, Kurosawa." The woman Kimura replied "The death penalty is the only penalty, whether human or ghoul but our ultimatum is the reason why we are one of the top human/ghoul organizations at present." she finished

Kaneki had heard enough and knew now what he had to do; it wasn't perfect but it would be better than nothing; he hoped he was doing the right thing, it hadn't worked out the last few times he tried to make a path, it always ended in loss. Maybe this time would be different; no, it had to be.

Without much difficulty he raised the vent's mouth, landing quietly on the glass table. He looked around and inhaled their scents as a cadence of heart beats pounded in his ears; yes, he'd be startled too.

"Fukui, Kurosawa, Goro, Inoue, Kimura, Akiyama, Ito." He said aloud, addressing each by scent.

"Remote activation!" Akiyama yelled, her human hand suddenly pulsing with what Kaneki could smell were Rc cells.

Kaneki leaped from the table, unsure of what was activating.

"Stand down!" The man named Ito commanded, stopping the woman in her tracks.

She stood bewildered, obviously acting on survival instinct. Coming back to her senses she sat; sweating and out of breath.

"And you were just talking about how much you loved ghouls." Kurosawa sneered, his kakugan glittering mischievously.

"But thats-!" She started

"Yes." Fukui interrupted "Its him."

The man named Ito stood before him, Kaneki smelled no fear in the man.

"Now tell me, if you would, what the SS rank half Kakuja, Mr. Centipede, wants with the IRF on this fine night?" He said brightly; Kaneki could hear the amusement in his tone; he was enjoying the situation.

Kaneki decided to enjoy it too; he took a seat at the head of the table, folding his hands, addressing all.

"I'd like to make a deal, one that benefits the both of us." He said simply and it was true.

"Hah? What can you do for us? You're a wanted ghoul; we could turn you in." The ghoul called Kurosawa snapped

Kaneki ignored him.

"I can be your ticket into the CCG's territory, is what I'm saying." Kaneki continued, scanning the faces surrounding him.

The group was silent, each thinking their own thoughts. The way Kaneki saw it it was a win win situation for them.

"What would you get out of this, Centipede?" Ito asked

"It goes without saying; and Kaneki is fine." He replied; he owed them no answers.

"It would seem you're throwing us a much needed bone, but you're an SS rank on the CCG's hit list...You've got to give us something." The man named Goro said

"I am." Kaneki answered easily "My business is my own; I'm only telling you what I can do for you...its simple."

Before the man named Goro could respond; The woman Kimura stood; "Can you guarantee establishing a unit without bloodshed, following all the procedures given by this organization?" She asked seriously

"Yes." Kaneki answered and he would.

"Do you have at least 5 founding members to occupy standard IRF posts?" She continued

"I do." He replied

"And will you have a problem, Kaneki, following all training regimes given by this organization and can you guarantee that the members you enlist will not either?" Inoue asked

"I will not and neither will those I enlist to help me." He said

The group sat quietly for a while then; each digesting the events slowly unfolding.

"What are you after, Kaneki Ken?" The woman called Akiyama demanded, he could feel the gaze penetrating him; he could smell her fear...but more than that, he 'felt' that she wanted to believe...Here was a human trying to understand ghouls.

He went contemplative then.

"Peace." Kaneki replied "and Justice." Could such things exist side by side? He would find out.

The two words hung in the air; thick with conviction. Peace for his friends, Justice for himself.

The ghoul Kurosawa stood up abruptly, storming to the door.

"That's great, just accept whatever drivel an SS-ranked ghoul tells us and make him our representative." He snarled, glaring at Kaneki "Don't forget the guy eats humans _and_ ghouls. When you're all on the menu, don't come crying to me." He finished, gaining sour looks

"Kurosawa." The elderly woman called gently; she was a ghoul.

He stopped.

"Kaneki has killed no humans, neither are the ghouls he's murdered under IRF guidelines: 'innocent'. It seems you need to see that for yourself so in addition to assigning Ito to oversee him, you will be his partner as well...this is an order." The woman called Inoue finished

If looks could kill, Kurosawa would end hundreds; he bit his lip, frustration plain . "Fine, fine, whatever Inoue wants...Its not like I have freewill or anything...just order order order an-

Ignoring Kurosawa's fit, the man called Ito stood up; He stood before Kaneki then, extending his hand.

"Well then, for what its worth...Welcome Kaneki-kun, to the IRF."


	4. Chapter 4

** Chapter 4**

* * *

The sun was high in the sky when Kaneki woke. He shook Hide lightly, the one thing his senses couldn't tell him, was the time.

"Hide." He called

The boy opened his eyes slowly, then closed and opened them again.

Murmuring in displeasure, he leaned over and grabbed the clock; Kaneki only ever woke him for the time, so he knew without thinking.

"10:53" He said groggily, diving back under the covers.

Kaneki sighed; he'd agreed to meet Ito in front of IRF Headquarters at 11.

He roused himself against the pull of sleep and got ready.

Standing outside the IRF was different during the day; People young and old funneled in and out, getting tours of the state of the art building and surrounding facilities. He felt out of place, but he was glad he wasn't the one running late.

A sleek car pulled up in front and blew the horn, he recognized the scent inside to be Ito.

"Morning, Kaneki-kun." Ito said

"Good Morning, Ito-san."

"Where are we going?" Kaneki asked; They had been riding around for a while and the city streets were quickly turning to empty stretches of land.

"To begin your training; you did agree to it." Ito replied lightly

"Want a donut?" He asked, offering a golden bun.

Kaneki grimaced; surely he understood the ghoul's palate?

The silence filled with laughter "Don't worry, I ordered the special."

Kaneki took the steaming bun, inhaling its scent; the contents were edible...and delicious.

"Thank you." he said; it was a good feeling, not having to avoid eating like the plague here.

"If you're ever buying food in Luna, just order what you want and tell them to make it a special...then it'll be something you can eat and enjoy." Ito said

That was useful information, he wanted to go out and eat with Hide but it was always awkward when only one person at the table was eating.

They sat quietly for a while then, catching the breeze as light jazz played on the radio...

"So, what do you have planned for the 2oth ward?" Ito said "Peace and justice are just so vague, it left me wondering." He asked conversationally

Kaneki thought about it. "Why does it concern everyone?"

"Well, I can't speak for the others but, you seem like a good kid to me." Ito said "So I wanna know what's on your mind."

Kaneki couldn't help but laugh. "You don't know that about me." And he didn't.

"No, I don't, but looking at your records, you didn't have a prior history of crime; you were on a pretty good route." Ito began "You just seem like a good person who had very bad things happen to them."

Kaneki bristled at the statement; he knew where words like this led... He didn't want justification or for anyone to tell him to go _back_; The moment he thought of going _back_; Anteiku was raided, destroyed...his home, a battle ground. If that wasn't fate's confirmation then he didn't know what was.

"That happens everyday, Ito-san, not just to me...Those who have no power and lack the will to choose, fall prey to those that do."

Ito sighed "That's depressing, Kaneki-kun; but I can only imagine what brought you to that."

_You can't _Kaneki thought to himself; no one knew what went on in his head..._who_ went on in his head, and no one ever would.

"My point is, **this isn't your fault**."

_This isn't your fault...This isn't your fault..._the words echoed_...This isnt...your fault..._

"Don't say that!" Kaneki yelled, startling the man beside him.

He didn't realize he was yelling, until he felt the ringing in his skull. Those damned words '_not your fault_'. "I hate them." He whispered, more to himself than the man beside him.

What did he mean? Rize had told him, she had _showed _him.

A comical tragedy; _His_ weakness, _his_ inability, _his _over confidence; every facet of his character, binding him to a life of loss...but even so, amidst the strangling loneliness, the empty darkness...he had found a light; it was Hide, it was the Manager, it was Touka, it was Hinami-chan, it was Banjou-san, it was Yomo-san...

Suddenly his world was full of people to warm his heart; to keep the loneliness at bay. He didn't want to lose that, he fought with everything he had...

_You can't protect; you can't choose; you can't save; __**you're alone**__._

It _was_ his fault; It was ALL his fault.

"Broken and hopeful, I will seize just one more day."

"What?"

Kaneki returned to himself as quickly as he had left. The man named Ito was driving steadily, but he smelled salt and heard the swallow...He was crying.

"I, didn't mean to yell, Ito-san." He said quickly, but the words the man just said, were ringing inside him.

Kaneki loved words and those were beautiful.

"Broken and hopeful, I will seize just one more day, Kaneki-kun." The man named Ito said again.

Kaneki didn't know what he'd said aloud but he could tell it upset the man. He wanted to let him know he was okay. "I was just thinking, it happens sometimes..."

"I'm giving them to you, Kaneki-kun...those words, they're yours now." Ito said, composing himself.

Kaneki didn't really understand what had happened in the time he was _out _but he wasn't oblivious to the words meaning; they had roused him from his mind, they had fluttered against his heart. Truly, he was broken by the things done to him; but he got stronger, he came back, no matter how it looked, he kept trying...because he _believed_.

Broken and hopeful, he _would_ try to seize just one more day.

* * *

Kaneki spent the remainder of his time watching the scenery: the P.O.L M Luna was vast; miles of green stretched out before them. They past a few lone houses in the midst of farms and then there was an endless forest before them.

As the two rode in silence, a gradual sense of unease had taken over. Things began to shift in the dark of his mind and nausea settled in his stomach...His body was growing weak.

"I'm sorry." He heard the man called Ito murmur "We just can't take any risks."

Then he smelled it, A ghoul; it was Kurosawa.

His neck suddenly throbbed...He'd been stabbed.

His hand trembled as he reached for the loaded syringe in his neck; his body was starting to fail him.

Putting together the pieces quickly, he cursed himself...deceived _again_.

He laughed bitterly at himself, helpless as he fell into darkness.

...

_"Apply more pressure...this won't be enough to wake him."_

Kaneki heard the words faintly; everything was still dark...but if it was the dark of his mind then _he'd_ be there.

"Kaneki." The Centipede called, appearing before him; the epitome of calm.

Kaneki roused himself; he didn't really have anything to say.

"Are you quiet because we got tricked again?" Centipede said, resting a hand on his head. In the expanse of his mind, he was glad he could see; the look he was given was compassion.

"What have you been up to?" Kaneki asked, not wanting to address the other's question.

"Keeping the seas calm, and storms at bay." The Centipede replied, sitting next to his younger self.

"It looks like they're doing something interesting to us." Centipede continued, brushing Kaneki's cheek lightly.

To Kaneki it didn't matter; he had had his body parts severed, only to grow back and be severed again. He had been tortured, brutally, and scarred in every way; let them experiment on him, He wouldn't be around to feel it anyway.

He knew, without a doubt, what would be in store when he woke. His instincts would take over and he'd destroy everything in sight; something about being brought to the edges of death always did that to him; And if any IRF members were in the mix when he did, then he was sorry. He wasn't as forgiving of betrayal as he had been in the past.

Waiting for himself to rise, he heard a voice.

"Kaneki...Kaneki Ken?" The voice called; it was muffled, surrounded by static and the sound of electric surges.

He looked at the Centipede who shrugged; apparently it was real.

"Yes." He replied, unsure of how someone from the outside was in his head.

"My name is Sato Maki and I'll be guiding you through your first training module."

"Training module?... Where am I?" Kaneki asked; the news that he had not been decieved was a relief of sorts; he needed the IRF and attacking them wasn't something he _wanted _to do. Still, the crazier news before him took precedence.

"Your superior, agent Ito Oshiro didn't inform you?" The woman said; genuinely surprised.

Kaneki fumed "No one told me anything; Whatever this is, let me out of it..._now_." He demanded quietly; So they wanted to keep their location hidden, he understood, but they didn't have to drug him to do it!

The woman seemed perturbed; trying to find the words to respond "But I've-I've already set the module...!" She exclaimed; Kaneki heard the quiver and the sharp intake of breathe...Was she crying?

"What do I do?"

_"What do mean? Is this your first time doing this?" _Kaneki asked in alarm

"I don't know how to reverse module I." She said, her voice quivering.

"_Then why did-"_

"Dr. Ueno decided to give me a chance-

_"Hold on..."_

"He trusted me!-

_"Can you just-_

"I'll be demoted!" Sato yelled; the shriek sending aberrations through Kaneki's mind.

_"Calm down."_ Kaneki tried to reason; it was okay for him to create a storm in his mind, but not some stranger!

"I'll lose my scholarship, I'll shame my family, they'll kick me out...I'll have to live on the streets..."

_"This really isn't about you..."_

"I'll have to live on the streets-!

"SATO MAKI!" Kaneki bellowed, startling the woman into silence.

"Begin the training module." He said softly; He couldn't risk her trying to undo whatever she had done and screwing up his mind in the process.

There was a pause.

"Really? Its okay?"

Kaneki sighed; exasperated "Yes, its fine...Lets get this over with."

"Thank goodness." She said brightly, heaving a sigh of relief "Okay, first, I'll explain to you what you'll be going through."

"Pain and pleasure." She began "These are stored in the mind via the neural network. There is a pressure and intensity stored in the nervous system with every feeling the body experiences." She said

"I understand..." Kaneki said, wishing he'd stayed in bed.

"IRF research discovered that applying similar pressures to the brain and nervous system can deliver the same response of an experience, regardless of whether it actually happened." She finished

"So..." Kaneki started "Instead of training me using traditional methods; you'll just apply the pressures to my brain and mimic it?" He asked. It was an interesting concept, but he was sure it was an expensive one .

"Yes and we will store those pressures so that the experience is permanent. Now, today you'll be in Module I: Survival; Its just as it sounds. Your body and mind will be subject to the processes of starvation, dehydration, asphyxiation, hypothermia...and others." Sato finished sheepishly

"Why those-?" Kaneki asked; Would a Regulator need to go without food and water regularly? Then he answered his own question. "When in the hands of the enemy, torture comes in many forms...When in the heat of battle, you may have to fight despite various injuries. This module prepares you for that."

"Correct." Sato replied "At the IRF, we assume you'll have to endure those things, we count on it. In this way, we can also weed out those who are just here for fun." She finished "Now...are you ready?"

"I am." Kaneki replied, taking a deep breath.

"Okay...Lets begin."

* * *

Kaneki couldn't say how much time had passed, when he came back to his body.

His muscles felt tight and on fire, like he'd gone through weeks of intensive combat; his lungs burned as if he'd been screaming for days. It hurt to turn his head, it hurt to move any part of his body.

In the dark quiet, he inhaled; there was no one around him and everything was painfully silent. He felt the cold metal beneath him and realized he was elevated on something. There were pins stuck inside of him here and there, he removed them with great difficulty, each sending a minute shock through his body.

The agonizing task complete, he rolled over, hitting the glass floor face first; it hurt, but the cold of the ground was refreshing; he gathered his thoughts.

"Sato Maki." Kaneki called, slowly rousing his aching limbs.

He heard no response.

His stumbling steps grew sure and he felt his way towards what felt like a door.

He didn't have time to feel around for a switch.

His rinkaku flowed from him easily; he pried the doors open and walked through...It appeared the IRF didn't need alarms either.

As he walked through a long stretch of hallway; he felt a chill. Somewhere in his ordeal he'd lost every item of clothing except his shorts. He felt his face; at least someone was polite enough to leave _that _alone.

His travels led him to the sounds of trees and fresh air; he had made it outside.

The light he felt on his face was softer than the sun...so it was a full moon tonight.

Following his nose, he moved in no specific direction; Maybe he'd just end up home if he wandered; dogs seemed to.

In the background, he heard the pounding footsteps and racing hearts of two individuals. When they burst outside he recognized two of the three scents; two humans... and one ghoul that his senses had missed completely.

"Hello, Sato Maki." Kaneki said amiably; the moonlit breeze was so refreshing, it lightened his mood.

The three stared at the lean muscled figure, illuminated by the moon before them; like a beautiful ghost, Sato thought, enthralled with the creamy skin sparkling under the moon, the threads of snow white silk, fluttering from his head.

"What do you mean hi? You need to rest!" Sato barked, moving herself from her reverie.

"But I feel fine, really." Kaneki replied; He was ready to get home; Hide would worry and they were supposed to have a 'date with destiny'. Namely, Zombie Island 2: The Reckoning...Hide apparently wanted to 'wipe the floor with him honorably.' He didn't want to miss it.

"Kaneki-kun."

Kaneki bristled at the tone; it was the ghoul he couldn't sense. His tone held something behind it that he couldn't quite place, but he knew he didn't like it.

"I'm Dr. Ueno, I run this facility...Do you know what just happened to you?"

Yes, there was something in the way he talked too.

"I was drugged and forced into a training module...Sato Maki was in charge." He replied evenly, still sizing up the doctor with his senses.

Before he could probe further, the third party member spoke up. "You completed Module I without a problem, I knew you could do it, Kaneki-kun."

The voice belonged to the man named Ito; Kaneki wanted to punch him.

"Thanks for the doughnut , Ito-san." He said bitterly, uncaring as he sensed the genuine guilt in the man.

"Kaneki-kun, I-

"In addition to Module I...Kaneki-kun...you completed Module II: Combat, Module III: Endurance and Module IV: Kinetics." The doctor interuppted, silencing the two.

"No one has done that in a very long time, Kaneki." Sato said with admiration. "Completing more than one module in a sitting is unheard of; it will affect your ranking when the time comes...in a _very _good way."

Kaneki nodded "That's good, then." He didn't really care, as long as they let him into their ranks.

"More importantly, no one's ever completed those modules in _two weeks_." Ito added, stunning Kaneki into silence.

"Two-?

"Two and a half weeks, to be precise." Dr. Ueno added, watching him with calculating eyes. Kaneki wanted to punch his lights out too...Why were there so many annoying characters in his life now?

Kaneki shook his head; there was only one thing on his mind now. "Hide." He whispered, the name gaining curious looks from those in front of him. He figured he'd be out for just a few hours, but two weeks!?

Anything could have happened to him in that time; he still didn't consider them safe and all manner of terrible scenarios ran through his head.

"I have to go." He said, ignoring their protests and taking off into the sky.

As his thoughts scrambled, he didn't realize until he was already in the air...Why he heard the doctor say "_I knew it." _why Ito said _"Impossible."_ and why Sato Maki gasped _"Its beautiful."_

He wasn't using his rinkaku.

The three looked in awe as, sparkling like stone, sharp protrusions materialized from Kaneki's back; they descended in a series of four, each smaller than the last, wings of ice.

Jutting into the night, like stalagmites in a frozen cave, electricity surged through them; Threateningly beautiful.

He felt their hardness, he felt the surge of electricity, the icy mist coming from him in waves.

He didn't know how or when, but he had passed the threshold of Rc control...he had made it, the Centipede's ukaku...

_"Suisei." _

* * *

When Kaneki landed, he was out of breath and frantic; The ukaku Suisei was light as a feather, he phased in and out of the clouds with little diffculty, like a bolt of lightening, or as its name suggested, like a _comet._

Now on the grounds of their home, he inhaled deeply.

"Hide!" Kaneki called

Either Hide wasn't there or he was too upset to hone his senses and find him.

He went through the house then, turning every item his senses could pick up.

"Hide, don't joke around..." He said, his heart still racing at the eerie silence.

With no sign of Hide in the house, he went outside; He needed to calm down.

Under the light of the moon he sat, listening to the sound of his breath. Where was Hide? Did he go looking for him? He could be anywhere in Luna, in any of the dark alley's he'd smelled foul play in.

Every moment he waited he could be losing him further, every second...

"Kaneki?"

He turned then, it was Hide...

Why wasn't he coming towards him? He moved closer. "Hide what's-

The smell of blood, flesh bruising, his heart was racing. "Hide?"

"I felt you'd come back...but it was still hell while you were gone." Hide replied, exhaustion plain in his tone.

"Were you fighting?" Kaneki asked, a little shocked. He'd always seen his friend as a pacifist; a fun loving nature and easy smile his constant companions.

"Was it Isaki?"

Kaneki could feel his blood boiling..._if it was_...

Hide brushed away his concern.

"I'm alright...I went looking for you, I thought you might be in the shadows somewhere..." He trailed off

Kaneki knew it. "So you went in and got hurt...That was dangerous, Hide." He chided. Not that he was one to talk, but then again, he was a ghoul.

Hide shrugged "I know, but it was better than waiting by the phone...It really sucked the last time you disappeared. " He replied with a heavy sigh.

Kaneki was before him then, assessing the extent of his injuries; it was nothing serious. The calloused bruises on his knuckles told him the fight wasn't one sided. Hide was an active participant in the brawl and might not have been on the losing end.

"Don't do anything like this again Hide; You scared me to death. " Kaneki warned, guiding him inside.

At that Hide stopped abruptly, taking Kaneki's hand tightly in his "No, _you _scared _me_." He said seriously.

He wouldn't loosen his grip.

Kaneki could feel Hide's gaze boring into him...The tense muscle, the quaking chest. "I thought I'd never see you again, Kaneki... that you had left me here alone." He started

Kaneki tried to interrupt, he would never abandon his best friend.

"I want you to hear this, Kaneki." Hide was serious, Kaneki remained silent.

"I don't have the people you do." He started

"Touka-san and the guy she argued with, the little lady who called you 'onii-chan', the Manager, everyone. I could tell, all the people that worked at Anteiku cared about you. You weren't just a worker, you were family."

Kaneki remained silent, where was Hide going with this?

"But...I... I don't have that. If Kaneki goes, that's it...I'm alone in the world once again." He said softly, barely a whisper. "All you need is one person, one person to hold you up, then you can face the world, to me...thats Kaneki."

Kaneki's heart stung at the words.

He, who hated more than anything to be left alone, was doing the same thing to someone he cared for.

He squeezed the hand holding tightly to his and leaned in, pressing his forehead to his. He felt his friend's face, hot and streaked with tears, bruised and twisted in frustration. "Hide." he said, pressing his lips to his forehead gently; a gesture of compassion, of endearment.

"I'm here. I won't abandon you. I won't leave you alone." And the words washed over him like redemption; Here it was, himself. In the hour where he was abandoned, he wouldn't abandon. In the hour no one had chosen him, he would choose. Being to Hide, what Hide had been to him, being to anyone, what he wanted them to be to him.

He touched their foreheads together lightly again, two similar souls, unraveled in the dark. They stayed that way in silence, conveying what words would be useless to say. In that silence, hand gripped tightly in the other's, they stood raw before each other... breaking a little, then a lot, screaming each other's haunted memories and exchanging them one for another's.

Then they rebuilt and came together, piece by piece, assembling their fragile masks...they sustained each other, strengthened each other, all without saying a word.

Time had been completely forgotten, when he heard Hide's eyes flutter open; His body was lax, he was completely calm. "I'm sleepy." Hide murmured, leaning heavily on him; Kaneki decided he would lean too. "Me too."

The two walked awkwardly then, each pushing the other lightly to the side in an effort to keep the other upright. Light laughter funneled out of the twin souls as they staggered quietly; If there were bonds in this world much stronger than blood, love, and friendship, Kaneki thought...He and Hide had that.

* * *

In the warm daze he shared with his friend; something gnawed at Kaneki, his ghoul senses sharpened suddenly, his hair stood on end.

They had entered their home many times before and a sensor turned the lights on each time, the window shades would automatically unfold and the security system would activate with a solid ring.

This time, none of that happened...It was 1 minute and 40 seconds late.

Kaneki's senses were on full alert then; straining in the farthest places of the grounds to check for danger. He knew better than to assume it was a glitch, to assume he was just overreacting; his ghoul's senses told him otherwise and his kagune was pulsing from within. Following the vibrational map of the land, he found the gate...the metal had been torn apart like paper.

"Hide!" Kaneki called in an urgent whisper, pulling the sleepy form awake.

Hide rocked from side to side; he was sleeping, standing up.

He hoisted him over his shoulder then, leaping to the top of the flat roof.

The force of the jump knocked Hide awake.

"Something's not right, stay here. If something happens to me, promise me you run...you run, Hide." He demanded quietly.

Hide's eyes were focused, attentive, he was wide awake. "I promise."

The two exchanged one final look before parting.

Standing before the doorway of the dark home, Kaneki took a breath.

Prepared to pluck the disturbance, prepared to fight.

* * *

A bed of shattered glass crunched lightly beneath Kaneki's feet.

He still hadn't dressed properly since his stint at the facility, but luckily his feet had endured far worse.

He moved sinuously through the house, scanning the area with every sense; his opponent was playing hide and seek; They weren't there to feed but to toy with him. Kaneki released his kagune then, the languid muscle membranes lighting the dark home with a crimson glow; he wasn't in the mood for games.

A faint and familiar aroma wafted through his nose; It was jasmine and ylang ylang mixed with..._something._

It faded quickly and he heard laughter; so a female ghoul had ventured into their place; a male would have been so much easier.

Moving up the stairs, he continued...He hadn't realized how big the place was.

A rush of air came from his left; he felt only the air and saw nothing.

Kaneki flew through the window with force, slamming against the trunk of a thick oak as it toppled with the force of the attack; something had hit him and it was _fast._ He leaped in through the broken window, following the scent of the kagune release to a slender figure, hidden in the shadows. "Show yourself." He demanded, firing the legs of his rinkaku with full force.

The lithe figure dodged, disappearing in a blur and moving to the dark shadows of the trees.

_"Should I take it?" _The voice was muffled, like the woman was trying to sound different. _"Should I eat your snack?" _

It took only a moment for Kaneki to realize...and then he snapped.

The legs of his rinkaku extended violently in all directions, tearing at the flesh of his back. They swarmed the figure in surprise; the intruder's acrobatics doing little.

They closed in on the ghoul then, cracking bone and rending flesh. Kaneki used the deadly tendrils to pin the figure to the ground, driving one of the pulsing membranes straight into the ghoul's gut. He leaned in then, the band covering his eyes, gone in the movement of battle. Two gaping holes, cauterized to the point of charred black, stared menacingly into the face of the ghoul.

The woman laughed brightly, licking at the menacing silence in delight.

Kaneki touched her face...and all vestiges of the attack dispersed in moments.

The woman stood, the sounds of regenerating cells being too fast for a normal ghoul.

But this wasn't an ordinary ghoul, Kaneki thought; inhaling the sweet scent as he pictured her in his mind's eye.

_Porcelain skin. _

"I didn't think you'd actually try to kill me, that was refreshing..."

_A silky cherry brunette, violet in the sun._

"...but mean, Kaneki."

_A voice, sweet and clear; the hallow's eve bell._

Kaneki slumped to the ground, his body heavy with the shock of who was before him. "You look much cuter now." She said sweetly; always laced with poison, even in his mind, he thought.

_Playful, alluring...A fox._

"It's good to see you, Ken-kun." she chirped; And he could see the eyes in his mind's eye..._Coy and sparling pools_.

"It's good to see you too...Rize-san."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Kaneki roused himself slowly.

_"Kamishiro Rize is here." _He told himself, needing the confirmation from his mind.

_"Right in front of me..."_

The female ghoul laughed at the reaction, walking towards the person bewildered in front of her.

She held out her hand then; "Stand up, Kaneki."

He remained passive.

"Are... you really here?" He finally said , reaching out slowly.

This person who smelled like himself, who he smelled like...could easily be a mirage.

She smiled, a slender hand firmly arresting his. "You tell me."

And then he was on his feet, in her arms; it hurt to touch her, it felt good to touch her.

He inhaled, relishing in the hum of her heart beat; A heart beat that matched his own.

He pulled away gently, steadying himself.

The nostalgia, The calm of yin finding yang washed over him.

"How did you get here?" He asked; His personal musings would have to wait.

Rize shrugged, the muscles moving gracefully. "I walked, I ran, I swam...Does it matter? Here I am." She replied lightly.

"The last time I saw you..."

"...I wasn't myself." She said evenly, her tone saying to leave it at that.

"...but a raven helped me." She added quietly

Kaneki knew she was referring to Renji Yomo and relief flooded him; He knew that he would watch out for the others while he was away.

"Why did you seek me out?" He asked, thinking of a million things she could want to do at the time.

"...Its simple, we share the same enemy, Kaneki." She said calmly

"Dr. Kanou." Kaneki said, taking note of the violent quake that rippled through her.

"Yes..._him_." She couldn't repeat the name.

Kaneki remained silent...thinking.

"Getting to Kanou won't be easy; He's joined with Aogiri. They'll use their strongest to protect him." He said

"I don't care." Rize replied firmly "I can handle it."

Kaneki sighed "The same way you handled escaping?" He knew it was hitting a sensitive spot but it couldn't be helped; running on revenge impulse alone was foolish.

Rize tensed, her mouth becoming a thin line. "A low blow, Ken-kun...but I was starved and injured; That's the only reason I couldn't escape."

Kaneki nodded, taking a seat in the grass. "Then, you're strong enough." He stated "So why are you _here_?"

Then she was in front of him..._Close, closer, closest_. "I know you want revenge too, Kaneki..."She whispered sweetly, plush lips brushing his ear.

"We're the same...You and I. " She purred, intertwining their hands.

Kaneki smiled, cupping her face in his hands.

"You're beautiful..." He began "...but I'm not some cherry boy to diddle around." His grip tightened, blood rushed to the delicate cheeks.

He wasn't so fickle as to forget; She had intended, from the very moment she saw him, to devour him; snuffing his life from the world.

"We aren't the same, Rize-san." He continued, releasing the now flushed face.

"I was someone you lured in to kill." He stated frankly and it was true.

"I think humans are important, and I have people I want to protect." He continued "You... do not."

"Kaneki-

"So, How are we alike?"

The question hung in the air...This was not going the way Rize planned.

"I'm here..." She began, a serious edge to her voice. "...because I could use your _assistance_..." She replied, a bit subdued.

"When I go after Kanou, it'll be good if I...have someone to look out for me..." She finished quietly.

Kaneki took note of her tone, So it was hard for her to rely on others.

"I won't be storming Aogiri with you, Rize-san , and Kanou will have to-

"Then what _will_ you do?" Rize snapped; He could feel the weight of her gaze, the set of her shoulders...she was upset.

"After what they did to us, I would think you-!

"**Us**?" The words were sharp, cold.

"This is because of _YOU_." Kaneki said simply. "Before Kanou, before Aogiri... my pain began...with _you_."

Rize was silent; Her chest rose and fell quickly, she hadn't come here for this. She had expected, from what Yomo had told her, that he would be elated to see her; his missing half.

She wanted a tearful embrace, listening to whatever she said...falling on his face for her. Not this, this..."Jerk." She said it aloud, of course he heard her.

"I thought you were sweet Kaneki." Her demeanor had changed.

Kaneki smiled "To certain people."

"Are you going to let them get away with it?" Rize asked, frustration plain in her voice.

"I have my way and you have yours, Rize-san. " Kaneki said, walking towards the door.

"No one's getting away with anything...I've already begun." He finished.

"Then...

* * *

"Kaneki!"

He heard the foot lose balance, the sharp intake of breath, the sway of arms trying to stop the momentum...Hide was falling from the roof.

Things never happen in slow motion and as Kaneki leaped in the air he knew he wouldn't make it; the most he could do was be there when he hit the unforgiving ground.

He had been too focused on Rize, on their conversation, that he'd heard it too late.

Reaching the other side of the grounds, he scanned the ground frantically.

The smell of blood, screaming, contorted limbs, he'd prepared himself for that...but nothing of the sort greeted him.

"Kaneki."

He whipped around then, relief and terror flooding him at once.

Hide was unharmed...but in _her _arms.

He had a new problem; She was Kamishiro Rize, but she was also the _Binge Eater_; with fresh human meat in her arms, A human that was special to him.

He made no sudden movements, He _would_ do whatever she asked; at least until he found an opening.

The most he could do was stall. "H-how did you-?"

"I've been doing this ghoul thing a lot longer than you...it's only natural my reaction time is better."

As Rize looked down at Hide, who was looking at everyone else, He froze...

If Hide panicked...

Laughter funneled from the cherry brunette. "Your snack-chan is kind of cute up close; I'm not surprised you like these kinds of meals." She chirped, leaning in to sniff him.

As quickly as she moved in, Hide leaped from her grasp, moving to Kaneki's side.

He shook with relief, moving towards him to check for injuries; aside from scrapes and bruises, he would be fine.

* * *

"Sorry, Kaneki...I thought I could get down, really messed that up." Hide said, sounding contrite.

Kaneki sighed, giving his friend a rough pat on the shoulder "Yeah, that's the second time today you've scared me to death."

With Hide in easy reach he turned to Rize; she was watching them intently.

"That's cute, a lion and a lamb...fr_iends_." She quipped

He ignored her comment and spoke; it was getting late, he was tired...and _hungry._

Pushing away the gradual gnawing sensation, he began "I don't have a concrete plan; I'm only doing what I want."

"And that is?" Rize probed. This man before her was far more complex than the sweet face she had seduced months ago. He was distant, unforgiving, blunt, and rational.

Then she saw him standing protectively before his friend...Muscles tensed and heart racing, desperately protecting those he cared for; a contradiction; caring, gentle, and warm.

"What are you?" She mused aloud; He was like no one she had ever come across...In her life of constant boring individuals, _he _was...interesting.

"...Meet me at the IRF HQ building tomorrow at 1pm." Kaneki said

He couldn't really trust her, she was so fickle, but he would give her an ultimatum.

"You're either with me or against me." He stated firmly "And if anything you do hints at you being against me..." He trailed off, a smile gracing his face easily **"I will kill you." **

Rize sighed, her sparkling gaze taking in the lean figure with excitement.

Everything in the set of his muscle, the beauty of his face, and the danger of his dark and hollowed eyes, made her smile.

"Take the train at Katsuko Station, the North line will get you there...Your stop is in Province D." Kaneki continued, unaffected. "A reflective building will be looming in the distance, it won't take you long to get there." He finished

Motioning for the two to leave, Kaneki headed for the door with Hide close behind.

Before they entered, he stopped, turning back "Don't be late." He said "And you owe Hide a new window."

When Kaneki turned, he tensed as Rize was right before him; silk strands tickled his face, her slender hands wrapped around him. "_Ken_..." She hummed sweetly.

Then she was pressed against him, the warmth of her chest making him flush; She leaned in, pressing her lips against his..._feather soft._

Pulling away, she smiled.

"I like it when you boss me around."

In the next moment, she was gone; a cloak of crimson fluttering in the sky as she took off.

Kaneki stood, his heart slowing gradually. Hide grinned; "Even if she is a ghoul, I was right...she _does_ like you."

Kaneki shook his head, covering his eyes once again.

He sighed

"If Rize Kamishiro likes you, its something you should watch out for."

* * *

The IRF Headquarters was busy as usual, Kaneki felt better waiting out front since Hide was with him. With the events that had happened, he had to let him know what he was planning; of course Hide wanted to be involved and help.

Things were fine now, but when they reached the 20th ward.

Kaneki was roused from his thoughts by the familiar scent of jasmine.

"Good morning, Rize-san." Kaneki called, before the shapely ghoul walked towards them.

She beamed, greeting them with a squeal of excitement, like old friends meeting up. "Ken-kun! snack-chan!"

The two exchanged a look in the slender arms enveloping them.

She was acting like they were life long friends and drawing looks.

_Typical Rize _Kaneki thought...and Hide was 'snack-chan?'

Kaneki frowned "Don't call him that, he has a name...Hideyoshi Nagachika."

Hide laughed "Its alright Kaneki."

The three walked into the reflective building, moving past the receptionist area and straight through the glass doors; Did they know he was coming? He was sure he'd have to verfiy himself at least.

"What's this?" Rize asked as they walked through the reflective halls, passing ghouls and humans in uniform.

Kaneki had a feeling she would sense it. "The building is made of a material that dulls a ghoul's senses...but there are ways around that, if your nose is strong." He replied, ascending the escalator in front of them.

Coming up to an indistinguishable door, Kaneki placed his palm on the face of it.

They entered a room full of people, a mix of ghouls and humans, sitting around a long oval table. Kaneki assessed the scents in the room...there were some familiar and some not.

"Good to see you, Kaneki-kun." Ito said jovially, wrapping him in strong arms before turning his attention to the others. "You bought guests?"

Kaneki ushered them forward "These are some of the members that will fill the standard IRF positions in our ward. Hideyoshi Nagachika, Kamishiro Rize...They're also my friends." He added quietly

"Its a pleasure." Rize said, shaking the man's hand.

"Nice to meet you." Hide said, doing the same.

The four took seats around the table, Kaneki listening to the excited drawl of the people present. From the sounds of it, this was like a welcome orientation. No one here, either ghoul or human, had the solemn countenance of one who traversed the shadows...they were all newbies.

Rize was in a deep conversation with a young human man; He seemed captivated by her. Kaneki shivered, he hoped the man would be alright...she very rarely entertained humans save for one thing.

As he chatted lightly with Ito and Hide, he caught the scent of someone...someone _dangerous. _

The door slid open...everyone became quiet.

Though sunlight filled the room from a wide glass window, a shadow seemed to steal the light away. This shadow was in the form of a man, a ghoul and three others behind him, carrying the same air. He towered above everyone, lithe, dark and silent...Kaneki thought of an unforgiving wall of rusted steel.

The ghoul's kakugan were phasing in and out with every scan of his eyes; as if he were constantly teetering between man and something more. The ghoul carried on as if oblivious to it; it was unnerving to the rest of the group. Kaneki could feel the weight of the ghoul's gaze...it was enough, he didn't need to see it.

He assessed everyone, lingering on Kaneki and Rize.

Towards the front of the room a large screen lie flat against the wall; the ghoul walked gracefully towards it, hair the color of night, fluttering in a tail behind him. Stark features addressed them from the new position, the room now devoid of sound.

"Everyone..." The ghoul called, his voice a mixture between a purr and a growl to Kaneki's ears.

"I am agent Abe Saito...Division One: Delta." He began, the screen lighting with the sound of his voice. "In the Inter-species Regulation Force, we are not given titles; the weight of your accomplishment is determined by the division and sector you are assigned." He finished

All around the scratching of pens against paper resounded...then it became quiet and the ghoul called Abe Saito continued. "There are five divisions and five sectors; mimicking the five levels of brain waves; each with a certain function, each at a certain level, the sectors Alpha through Delta are given."

The man turned to the screen which displayed a diagram of the hierarchy he spoke of. "Every new addition, with only rare exceptions, starts at the lowest grade and that is, Division 5: Alpha. You would thus be addressed as D5: Alpha and your last name following it, an example, D1: Delta Abe or DD1 for short." He finished

Among the quiet, a lone hand rose...It was Hide.

"What are the standard IRF positions when establishing a unit and what determines, aside from experience what division and sector you get into?"

Abe Saito rested a shifting gaze on the boy in response; Hide seemed unaffected. As if finding what he was looking for the ghoul gave a small nod of approval which ushered looks from the others...So it was a big deal? Kaneki thought.

"That's a good question...You're an _unexpected _arrival, but not an _unaccepted _one." Abe said; Kaneki couldn't pinpoint it but the man's voice seemed to warm a little.

"There are five standard positions in order to establish what we call 'units' in a specific place. Keep in mind though, it can be anywhere in the world. The five positions include: Vanguard, Intel, Fortress, Liason, and Research." Abe finished

Hide's eyes sparkled. "Do those positions have smaller subunits under them?"

The ghoul nodded; Kaneki was right, he was warming up.

"Each position would have the lead agent and a group of individuals, not necessarily Regulators, serving under them." He replied "Listen clearly everyone, its alot to take in but I only explain once."

"Vanguard is at the head of every operation; if there is a plan, they draft it, in the heat of large scale battles they control the flow of attack. They are the action team and if any other position has a request, it is taken to the Vanguard to be executed. Any undercover operations will be carried out via this position as well." He continued

"Intel is the eyes and ears of the unit; tracking, surveillance, scouting and buying information fall under their jurisdiction; they must oversee the entire area from the shadows. Before the Vanguard acts on anything, it must have sufficient proof of whatever it wishes to act on; it is Intel's job to find that proof."

"Fortress is as the others; the job is in the name. This group is responsible for fortifying operations. It is the IRF's policy that all units be established from the heart of the location the unit occupies. While this gives us a 360 degree view of all activity and increases our chances of mitigating criminal activity, it puts us at a major disadvantage;We could be attacked from all sides.

Therefore it is the job of those in Fortress to ensure the safety perimeter around the unit's headquarters and while the Vanguard carries on missions, ensure the safety of the unit's base. Fortress also ensures continuity...if illegal activities carried out by ghouls is eradicated, they must continually stalk the shadows and make sure it stays that way."

"Liason and Research have less to do with logistics, offense, and defense.

Most have never heard of the IRF, especially in areas heavily controlled by the CCG. When entering a new location, its important to make connections with the community, no matter how seemingly dark. It is also our commitment to create at least a civil understanding between ghouls and humans. Liason should be headed by someone with an acceptance of both humans and ghouls. There are times when conflicts may be solved by talking through it, Liason acts as mediator. There are times when humans and ghouls in trouble need to contact us, Liason answers the call and dispatches the Vanguard to the location.

Then there are standard PR campaigns where Liason's job is to shrink the divide by creating events where the two species can, for only a moment, coexist; there are also awareness workshops."

In the pause between the ghoul's lecture, another hand rose; it was a human. "Why would any ghoul _want_ to be close to a human aside from nourishment? I would think that separation is better as a whole, to reduce conflict."

The man called Abe Saito looked for a long moment at the young woman who had asked the question; She looked away first and he addressed everyone.

"Humans are prey..."

The silent gasps and expressions were immediate; Kaneki could tell the ghoul had ruffled a lot of human feathers; a light mist of fear graced his senses.

"We, are the predators." He continued "Even so, we speak the same language, we have the same features, we follow the same cultural and social behaviors...We desire to coexist because we are meant to coexist."

With the silence that followed he began again.

"The last position is Research...it is required by IRF guidelines to have a team dedicated to research in any part of the ghoul biology; a doctor will have to be at the head of this team. This position also functions as medical teams when injuries are too severe to heal or if a human has been injured. With everyone devoting time to understanding more about the ghoul as a speices we can find breakthroughs that will allow for a safer coexistence."

Finished, Abe Saito inclined his head, turning to his companions and speaking with them as if those he spoke to were no longer in the room or of any importance; the round of attentive listeners forgotten in the shade of his back.

No one made even the slightest attempt to approach Abe Saito and his group.

From the conversations, Kaneki figured the ghoul's presence was something rare.

Even amidst the racing hearts, light sweat and dry throats, he could feel their admiration coming off in waves. As the group funneled out of the room, Kaneki dragged Rize, with some difficulty, away from the human capturing her attention and the three went to exit.

"Kaneki Ken..." He turned around, Abe Saito had called him.

"Come with me."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"Why did you call me here?" Kaneki asked

When Abe Saito had called him, he followed him to another room and now found himself in the company of a much smaller group.

The difference was that they wore grey and black uniforms and there was none of the chatter of the previous group; they wore the somber countenance of those who bore responsibility.

Abe Saito regarded him lightly "You are here for the same reason as everyone else. You are establishing a unit and therefore designated as a Leader."

"So our training is different." Kaneki said aloud

Abe Saito nodded "Every Leader is different; there is only one test to determine your worth and what you need to work on; that test is in a real life situation. We will see how you react and it will help us to mold your weaknesses and maximize your strengths."

Addressing everyone his voice rose "One week from now, you will be given the examination. Now, **Go home and train like your life depends on it**." He finished abruptly.

* * *

Kaneki walked the streets of Luna alone; He hadn't really been paying attention, just wandering.

When he had come to the lobby, he found that his companions had left already; a little probing told him that Abe Saito took it upon himself to tell them to go...that he'd be in special training for a while.

He wondered why the sky was so dark, wasn't the sun shining when they entered?

A terrible storm had come, is what the receptionist said; that made sense, he couldn't ask Hide to wait, he could catch a cold, being human.

A chill like the sting of winter's wind, washed over him; When had it become so cold? Perhaps the weather was unpredictable here but the most important question was...Just where had he wandered to?

_Found you..._

It was faint, but he heard it; a sinister and mocking whisper.

_It's mine..._

He could smell nothing; but he could feel it. A malicious presence, blood lust, insanity...devoid of any logical thought.

_It's mine..._

Kaneki stopped as his hair stood on end; The presence was strong and like nothing he'd ever fought before. The chill grew thicker and the silence threatened to swallow him; not a soul was around as frost nipped at the ends of his hair.

He stood his ground, waiting for the approaching mass of energy barreling in the shadows towards him; running would be pointless, useless.

_Found you..._

It stood before him now; emanating a blind hunger that he could not fathom. "Who are you!" He yelled, heart racing; then he thought that _what are you _would have been better to ask. It rocked from side to side, its arms and legs seeming to have no human form.

_We took it...since you weren't around..._

A horrible stench assaulted him, causing him to wretch in the middle of the barren street he found himself on. He had encountered many gruesome things, but this smell was the worst of them. As he stood his vision grew hazy; the lines between roads were blurring. The stench was getting to him, it was rotting flesh...

Why should it? He's smelled worse.

The blood drained from his face...it was because of _who's_ flesh it was.

Kaneki stood still, his hands trembling; his chest quaking.

"Its a lie." He said aloud, barely getting the words out amidst the plain truth assaulting his senses. _Lies!-Lies!-Lies!-Lies!-ITS Lying...!_

_A present for you..._

"What have you done...?!" Kaneki was yelling now, unable to stop the tears that spilled from charred tear ducts...the scent he smelled should be far away, far far away and safe...

_So you come back..._

"Tell me what you did!-" He screamed,a knot in his throat, dread in his stomach.

_For you..._

A cool, thick fluid stained Kaneki's face, accompanied by soft peices that had once been whole. He held in his hands a rather small head; short locks trimmed in a way to frame a pretty face. He would know the style anywhere...he had did it himself.

And then he screamed; screamed with everything that was in his tattered soul. _Hinami-hinami-hinami-hinami-__**hinami**__-!_

Kaneki wailed bitterly, broken and grieved against the icy pavement; cradling a head with every feature, every scent that he knew to be Hinami Fueguchi; So he'd been found.

Aogiri Tree knew that he was here and they'd taken advantage of that to attack his friends. When he left, Tsukiyama was broken and malnourished and Banjou and the others couldn't stand up to an SS ranked ghoul on their own, let alone someone higher.

He'd assumed Yomo-san would look out for them; but of course his priority would be Yoshimura-san and everyone at Anteiku in the 20th ward.

The 6th ward wasn't a safe haven; its why he didn't let her out much and yet he'd left her so that she could slip through the cracks-it was all his fault-just like her mother...he...

He was a fool.

Two shadows watched intently from the top of a tall building.

"See?" A woman said, her kakugan glittering in satisfaction. "This 'one-eye' is broken...I could destroy him without even touching him."

The companion next to the woman sat quiet for a moment, hidden behind a dark cloak and mask. "I'm a little disappointed; the word around Kokuria was that a ghoul code named 'Centipede' was giving the CCG hell and even posing a threat to Aogiri; especially becoming SS ranked in such a short time; what a let down." The male ghoul said

The female ghoul brushed away a strand of brunette hair; pursing cherry tinged lips she grinned. "Thankfully, Tatara-sama saw that handling this one required a _woman's _touch." She boasted, biting a long pink nail.

From the shadows another cloak and mask landed; much taller than the two. "No, Yuki, that's because destitute jail birds like you, need a daily dose of mayhem to stay in control."

"Destitute? I was the only sun in that dreary hell hole." The ghoul named Yuki snapped "Destroying anyone is easy when you unravel their mind. I don't have the slightest idea who Hinami is...I just gave my _creation_ some little girl's corpse; He did the rest himself." She chirped

The two cloaked males exchanged masked looks and sighed "This still won't make Tatara-san marry you."

The ghoul called Yuki flushed, batting at the two lightly "Shut it...Ole 'one eye' is finally coming to."

Kaneki left the head gently on the ground; He was moving now on instinct; He could see nothing, and hear nothing but the whistle from the hole in his heart. _Who-is-it...Who-did-it...Hinami-chan..._

He inhaled; the sound standing out in the absolute silence.

"Shit!" The cloaked ghoul barked, getting up abruptly "He's caught our scent! We have to go."

Before the three depart a yell sends vibrations through the ground and the building they stand on quakes.

Rising into the dark grey sky, Kaneki hovered sinisterly. The pale face made inhuman by the widening of hollowed eyes. The arms of his rinkaku held him high above them, his legs dangling freely. They stabbed into the ground with each movement, advancing on the party staring in shock; it was beautiful, it was terrifying...it was...

"**Found you**." Kaneki said, his head lolling from side to side in a crazed stupor..."**Found you**..." He repeated, voice and movements going rigid and inhuman.

The female ghoul named Yuki stood before Kaneki in all his rage; she looked back at the others. "You two are too young...do as I say...RUN!" Before the men can react, Kaneki is on them, the powerful weapons extending from him in lightning speed to grab the two fleeing. "No one escapes." Kaneki hissed

The three launched an attack from all sides on the monstrous ghoul who dangled above them; a cruel black widow. The female ghoul launched an attack in high speed, her ukaku creating forest green light trails in the air. Kaneki dodged each blow expertly, morphing extensions on the hardened membranes to block oncoming attacks.

The two cloaks dodged his attacks as Yuki pummeled him with blow after blow. They released their koukaku as long daggers and closed in on either side.

Kaneki became a blur, _Too slow... _sending the two with weapons poised, colliding into each other; impaling each other with their kagune. Kaneki relished in the screams and what would come next.

Blood sprayed into the air as the two chopped off each other's arms, sliced one side of the other's body and lacerated each other's faces.

The cool liquid hit his outstretched tongue and he lapped it up. "Disgusting." He growled, feeling the rise of power coming on.

The two lie twisted and broken on the ground, regeneration slowly kicking in; Kaneki was before them then, a hungry animal.

"_An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth_..." He added, showing pearl white teeth.

The female ghoul stood frozen as she watched the white haired ghoul flay meat from the injured ghouls; while they healed and swallow pieces whole.

She caught her breath, second wind reached and unleashed a barrage of charged attacks once more; no one had prepared her for this.

To the powered up ghoul, they meant nothing; Kaneki swiped the ragged bodies of the ghouls, using them as projectiles to strike the woman from the building.

Falling from the tall height, Kaneki met her, anchoring one arm of his kagune into the building and using the other to pierce her lungs. He swung her up as she screamed only to catch her again with a different piercing and fling her through the air again.

Kaneki lost track of time as the ragged screams and pleas grew quiet.

He rested the bodies on the building top again, standing before them dazed. "Are...you dead?" He asked casually, prodding the disfigured ghouls. "That's no good...I'll wait till you heal so I can do it again."

A hoarse croak brought Kaneki closer; He raised the male ghoul's face...more than half of it eaten off. "According to the ghoul called Tatara, one eye is no good." Kaneki said, uncaring of the agony painted on the dying face. "So why are you here? Is it because of Kanou?"

A loose eye rolled towards him from a lacerated socket "Go to hell, devil."

The ghoul whistled...it echoed in the silent street; Kaneki knew, it was just beginning, he laughed bitterly, shaking the nearly lifeless ghoul. "Too bad, you won't be able to see your _help _arrive."

* * *

The inner sanctum of the IRF building is in chaos.

Agent Ito Oshiro runs through the hallway, a bundle of papers squeezed tightly in hand. He stands before a reflective door, the print of his hand gaining him access.

Screens line the walls on all sides; a person stationed to each one where tasks are carried out via touch screens and information exchanged via head sets.

Ito slammed the papers down on the glass table, gaining looks from those around him.

"There's been a breach in security; currently, about 30 unknown assailants entered the P.O.L.M _gate _by force. We've been running a search the last few hours but thanks to Nagachika and a number of other agents in Intel, we've been able to narrow down our search to the abandoned sector awaiting reconstruction and Province E." Ito said

"Have you discovered their origin?" Akiyama asked

Kurosawa sucked his teeth "Isn't it obvious? They have something to do with the 20th ward and Kaneki Ken."

"Aogiri Tree." Abe Saito interjected, keeping a shifting gaze on a screen in the face of the table.

"Send out the advisory to everyone in the immediate vicinity, dispatch Regulators and Vanguard, Keep eyes and ears on everything. We know their origin but this may very well be a diversion; Dispatch Fortress immediately to fortify our defenses." The elderly female ghoul said with authority

"As you command, Inoue-san." The entire group said in unison.

As orders were carried out and everyone sat engrossed in their respective tasks, a frantic voice came through the monitor.

"We've found it! Its in the abandoned sector! It's a massacre!" The male voice yelled, surrounded by the sounds of battle, heavy breathing and quick movement.

"Tell me exactly what you see Tetsu-kun." Ito said calmly

"Uh...okay, there's uh, lot of destroyed buildings, a lot of rumblings, like earthquakes..."

"Are the unknowns there? That's what we want to hear!" Kurosawa barked, gaining a disapproving look from the group.

"There's about 35 to 40...their all attacking this one-! no-two! Shit!-

A loud explosion sends the communication link to snow; The group waits...

"Testu?"

"I'm back up, Vanguard is approaching the center of the conflict; their not coming for us but we'll provide support to the target." Tetsu said

"So, give us a clear picture here." Abe Saito said

"We have confirmed 50 assailants using their forces to overwhelm two ghouls; One male, one female, both possessing kagune type: rinkaku..."

"It couldn't be-

"The two targets are holding firm and we have just engaged the stragglers in minor skirmishes around the building..."

"The male ghoul, whats he doing?" Kurosawa asked

"Uh...it appears...he's eating them...every single one of them...Oh...its changing, he's changing!-

The communication link fades with screams of shock, the sounds of a tussle and gasps.

"Testu? Testu!" Ito Oshiro called

"Its huge!...Its huge!-It'll destroy everything..." The ghoul called Testu said listlessly " We need back up! I need divisions 3 and up! sectors Beta and beyond...This is..."

"What. Is. It." Abe Saito commanded, his tone keeping the blanket of hysteria from spreading.

"It's a dragon! A fucking dragon!" A new voice bellowed

Abe Saito looked on in surprise. "Now, Kururu-kun, that's just your human psyche distorting reality because of fear." He chided

"Shut up Saito!" The woman named Kururu yelled "You know me! If I say I see a dragon, then I see a fucking dragon!"

"What kind of history do you have, to be able to tell Abe Saito to shut up; _and_ call him by his first name?" Kurosawa mumbled

Abe Saito turned to him, chin raised "I'll have you know, she is my first _human female_ friend. I've never been able to get close to them, you know; so I take what I can get."

"That kid, ah, Nagachika...He wasn't afraid to look you in the eye or talk to you either." Akiyama said

Abe Saito nodded, satisfied. "I just need one male human friend and then my set will be complete. Hideyoshi-kun is smart and the opposite of Kururu but I like them both; maybe I'm asking too much."

The group regarded him dryly. "You're a five star sadistic-ghoul-commander-from-hell and your nickname is _God of Nightmares; _Of course its too much to ask for_... _STOP trying to make friends and keep killing for a living."

"Kurosawa!" Akiyama barked

Kurosawa grinned in response.

Ignoring the attack on his persona, Abe Saito returned to his solemn character once more. "The dragon is probably the male ghoul's full kakuja. If that's the case, sit tight...I will deploy my own special unit; A berserk kakuja is no fun."

Abe Saito rose, bowing to the elderly female ghoul "I shall return, Inoue-sama." She smiled "See to it that you do."

Before he departs, a tuft of honey blonde hair bursts into the room; Light brown eyes fixed and determined. "DD1 Abe-san...I'm coming with you." Hide said, barely dressed in flip-flops, a shirt, and boxers. "If you attack him the way he is now...The guy I know as Kaneki Ken won't exist anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Vehicles, weapons, and IRF units surrounded the area; Skirmishes between Regulators and the intruders litter the ground while others called to the scene create a barrier.

The focal point lies atop a building; members of Aogiri swarm the being that mirrors an armored dragon.

Ivory scales create a thick armor that ebbs and flows with the blows, deflecting them; black sclera contrast wild crimson irises. The four clawed feet bear the familiar membranes of a rinkaku while the ice sickle like protrusions of Suisei send lightening bolts arching across the darkened sky.

A female ghoul blazes violently at his side, avoiding the devastating attacks the kakuja delivers and avoids the wispy tendrils, shoving the defeated bodies into its mouth. Her hair is disheveled, her kakugan glittering with a fierce protective gaze; she helps Kaneki in his bestial form, removing the enemies attacking from blind spots.

Her rinkaku is tinged blue as it whirls and stabs 360 degrees...Ghouls fly in pieces to the sky.

A silver motorcycle raced through the streets of Luna; one destination in mind.

Riding into the scene in high speed, orders are called from the rider. "Do not engage the kakuja! Do not engage!" Abe Saito commanded, as he slowed his entrance into the fray. "I hope you're right about this, Hideyoshi-kun." Abe said as they sped to the building.

"I can't promise you anything Abe-san..."

"...but I _will _do everything I can to bring Kaneki back...So please hold the IRF units until then."

The two head straight through the building's entrance on the bike, ascending the stairs leading to the roof.

Coming into the heart of the battle; Hide called "Launch me!"

"I'm sorry?"

"Give me some air! He won't be expecting an aerial!" Hide yelled over the roar of battle.

Abe Saito nodded, turning the bike 360 as he flung oncoming attackers in the air. "I'll do better than that."

Barreling through the ever growing pool of enemies, he launched the bike into the air, using the roof of the small shed atop the building. Now, high above the lightening and flash of attacks, Hide leaped.

"Go-! " Abe yelled turning his attention to a legion of combatants.

Falling quickly towards the raging being that was his friend, he took notice of the fierce female ghoul battling at its side.

"Kamishiro!" He yelled, drawing a barely coherent look.

Rize inhaled; What the hell was he doing here? she thought angrily, in between a heated exchange of fists. This was so unlike her. She was sweating, she was growing tired...and all for the sake of some jerk.

She had smelled his scent from a far; she had heard his grief stricken wails.

When she found him, he was surrounded by members of Aogiri that had found a way into the P.O.L.M Luna. He was crazed and angry; she didn't know what they'd done to make him like that.

Still, when they made their intention to deliver him to the doctor known as Akihiro Kanou, her blood boiled, her rage kindled and she vowed to fight tooth and nail to protect him.

He would not be used as she was used; He was her other half, he belonged to her; He understood, the burden of her abilities, the pain of being stepped on and the rage needed to get even.

And so she stood beside him as he consumed countless ghouls, fought when he could not cover all sides and lent him her strength. "Kaneki is mine." The words riled something fierce within her...like protecting your young?

Well, it was partly true.

She looked on in shock as Hide came falling from the sky, flip flops blown to the wind. She reached out to grab him but he was already on top of Kaneki, sliding down the scaled head and holding for dear life as he thrashed.

The kakuja opened its mouth wide, roaring in frustration; it could have easily snapped him in two, but it didn't.

Seeing the opening he needed, he swung his fist back..."Hide's one punch special!" With the call, he shoved his arm into the kakuja's mouth, crying out in pain as jaws clamped tightly around it. "Th-thats it Kaneki, just like before..." He coaxed, the kakuja sucking intently on the flesh.

Blood dripped from his arm and pooled in the mouth of the ghoul.

It shrieked, jerking violently and sending Hide crashing to the ground. The smell of human blood sent the remaining attackers, the only ones strong enough to still be living, into a frenzy. Rize met them head on, determined to protect them both...Yes, she definitely wasn't herself today.

The kakuja wailed; it was frantic.

The large form whirled its massive form only to fall to the ground as the shield of scales receded into its body.

Kaneki lie on the ground, mouth red with the blood of his friend, gasping for words that made no sounds.

To Kaneki it was as if he awoke from a hazy dream.

He remembered what he had done; the sounds of humans, ghouls, machinery, and attacks was more than his ears could bear. The sweetness in his mouth was familiar and tears streamed as he staggered towards the body a few feet from him.

Hide lie there pale and shaking, blood leaking profusely from a gaping hole in the side... where his left arm should have been.

Kaneki cried then, bashing his head into the cement ground until bruises lined his forehead and blood gushed. "I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry! I'm sorry!...I'M SORRY!" He shrieked "I won't hurt you anymore...-I'll...

"Shut up." Hide managed to snap; eyes very aware and clear.

"If you're sorry, take responsibility, _don't_ run...from the pain, from what's happened, from _me_..."

Kaneki took a deep breath...and remembered his promise. "Okay."

He looked around him; the battle had been won, at least for now.

Wrapping Hide's wound tightly, he lifted him up, walking towards Kamishiro Rize as she lie out of breath and ragged against the ground. His hollowed eyes met her sparkling ones; he bent down, inhaling her scent.

She hadn't suffered any major injuries but she would need rest; it also appeared that she had been functioning on an empty stomach. A weak smile graced her features, Kaneki ran a hand lightly over her face. "You owe me, Ken..." She said, before her eyes fluttered closed. Kaneki sat beside her with Hide...

The world faded to black as he collapsed.

* * *

A dull throb woke Hideyoshi Nagachika from a deep sleep.

His eyes opened slowly, wincing at the light of the sun, peaking through the blinds; His mouth felt chalky and his throat was dry. Sitting up slowly, he closed his eyes against the light and thought...Something had _happened. _His eyes widened..."I didn't really..."

And then he looked to his left arm, at least, where it once had been. He touched the bandaged area, it didn't really hurt. His right hand clenched the covers tightly, he squeezed his eyes shut against the reality right beside him_. "I did it for Kaneki, I did it for my best friend."_He whispered, quieting the shock and something else that made him shake.

With some difficulty, he stood upright, overcoming the unevenness of missing one side. He smelled something cooking and headed for the kitchen.

Beaming in a frilled apron, Kamishiro Rize stood at the stove, tending to a frying pan.

"Today, you get a special service." She chirped, showing him the contents; it was human food.

"You can thank Kaneki for this, he wanted to do it and _I _wanted him to rest, so we switched places."

"Thanks...for this." Hide said "And for the other night."

Before long a steaming plate sat before him; the contents looked edible. "You do know this is still Japan, right?" He joked

Rize smiled "American food is less boring to make." she replied

The two sat quietly, watching the footage that had been recorded about the events of yesterday on the news; battles, glimpses of the full kakuja and attacks were shown.

"The citizens are concerned..." The reporter said; he was speaking to a PR official of the IRF who reassured him that everything was fine.

"This event was orchestrated by our own as an exercise in disaster preparedness and damage control; The full kakuja seen is actually one of our own agents in training, who offered to be apart of the exercise. As the leader in ghoul/human coexistence we are ever vigilant to attacks that subvert this balance and remain your ever watchful servants."

"Whoo, they're really laying it on thick." Hide said, waving a fork in the air. "I guess it's better to avoid the truth, people will panic otherwise."

"It could also create distrust between the races." Rize added, sipping coffee. "I still don't understand what this P.O.L.M intends on achieving with places like these...but it _is_ a lot less unpleasant to be here."

The two turned their attention to the living room as they heard the croaks of life issuing forth.

"Kaneki." Hide said, rising from his seat.

Awareness came to the dark hollowed eyes, he inhaled and relaxed; Kaneki's expression was solemn as he sat up."Ah...Hide." The words came out awkwardly and though he didn't have eyes to see, he averted his gaze. "I...um..." He stammered, fiddling with his pale fingers; he was acting weird, he knew...

"Kamishiro."

It was Hide who broke the awkward silence; his voice was level, no hint of amusement. "Give Kaneki and I a moment; I need to talk to him."

The words were not a suggestion.

Kaneki was surprised as Rize shrugged "Boys will be boys." she scoffed, exiting the living room and heading down the hall.

Now alone, Kaneki's heart began to race; he wanted to throw up.

Sitting down in perfect health, as his friend's limb digested in his foul gut, made him sick. They should have just attacked him, put him down for good, why didn't the IRF do anything?!

_"Kaneki."_

It was all their fault too. They let Hide into the heart of a battle he couldn't win, they were cowards!

_"Look at me, Kaneki."_

And that Abe Saito, he was sure he had something to do with it; watching Hide, he probably planned on eating him while he was weak!

_"I'm gonna get angry if you don't-"_

He would make them pay, it wasn't only his fault...and then, when they'd lost a limb or two, he could face Hid-

"LOOK AT ME!"

He felt the blow to his cheek; it didn't hurt, but the tense muscle, the force behind it; it would be enough to shatter a _human _jaw. Hoisted by the shirt he wore, he felt eyes boring into him; so Hide was angry.

"Stop acting like this!" Hide yelled jerking him around "Yes, I lost my arm! but that was my decision!" He barked

"I'm sorry Hide, if you had never met me-"

"Shut up!" Hide yelled, throwing him to the floor; that was the intention anyway and Kaneki would oblige.

"Don't act like my decision was a mistake! You may not have come out of that state if they had attacked!" He continued

"I don't want pity...!" Hide said, frustration plain in his voice "You should have just thanked me...Thank you Hide, that would be enough!"

"I won't thank you...for letting me nearly devour you." Kaneki said bitterly, he was being difficult, he knew.

Kaneki could hear it, Hide was at the breaking point.

"Hit me, Hide, then I'll feel better." The words fell from his mouth before he could stop them; beat him, with only one arm?

Before he could retract his request, he was surprised by the sudden strength that sent him back to the ground. And then he felt the force of each blow.

He was yelling now and tears fell on Kaneki's face as he lie beneath the barrage of blows. Yes, he was inconsiderate, yes, he was a jerk and stupid and cruel...everything Hide screamed he was.

Though they would heal in only moments, he relished in the feeling. He knew that no one would be satisfied if they had lost an important part of themselves, even if it was to save a friend.

He knew that it would build up and create a rift between the two; He couldn't bear that and so he had to do it; to bring out the anger that would hide until it poisoned his friend, let him release the frustration that would tear them apart as it lurked in the shadows. "I did this for you!" He heard Hide yell

_Yes, just like that_, Kaneki thought, _until you've rung yourself dry._

When all was quiet, the boy lie panting and out of breath next to the object of his tantrum.

He was spent, from yelling and pummeling his friend into the floor; he didn't expect to lose it like that, it wasn't like him to lose control. He turned to look at the face lying next to him and his eyes widened.

For some odd reason, Kaneki was... _smiling_...

"What-"

Kaneki sat up, light pink spots the only remnants of the ordeal. He helped Hide up who still hadn't mastered the new balance.

"...Thank you, Hide." Kaneki said; the smile was genuine, Hide could tell..."Kaneki, do you know what a _masochist_ is?" He said slowly

Kaneki looked sheepish "That's not what this is."

"Then..."

As he waits for a response his lids grow heavy, he sways lightly, his body failing beneath him..."_Kaneki_..."

* * *

Kaneki sat outside, controlling his breathing, clearing his mind.

Hide had fallen asleep in exhaustion; he'd make something nice for him when he woke. Right now, he had a different focus.

Kaneki opened his eyes in the expanse of his mind; he wasn't sure how it worked but now he could control the transition to his subconscious. Just as he expected, _he _was there, sitting and waiting for him on a chair of shadow.

"It appears you're not here for another lesson." The Centipede said

"No, I'm not." Kaneki replied firmly

The Centipede stood from his place and was soon before his younger self. "I'm at your service none the less."

"Where were you...when all of _that _happened." Kaneki demanded "I thought you were supposed to help me keep things under control."

The Centipede looked thoughtful "_That _was out of my control, Kaneki. I can only consolidate the aberrations caused by the consumption of ghouls. Grief is something I have no power over...your emotions are your own." he said solemnly

"You could have told me she wasn't dead." Kaneki returned evenly

"How could I? In that moment, everything fit as your mind wanted it to. The ghoul you killed that decieved you, she used mind games, and our human psyche fell for it." The Centipede said

Kaneki frowned "All you go on about is how my _human _self is the pro-

"It is." The Centipede said, interrupting. "Yesterday it cost us a part of Hide...What will it cost us tomorrow?"

Kaneki remained silent "I don't understand what you want me to do. I've been training...and yet."

The Centipede made his way to Kaneki's side; He rested a hand on his head. "Don't over think it...your transformation yesterday and the fact that you remember it is a big accomplishment."

Kaneki sighed; there was no staying angry at himself. He sat down in the quiet of his mind, the Centipede joined him.

"You say you are the complete ghoul brain...but you also call yourself, 'me'...the older me." Kaneki began

The Centipede looked curiously "Yes, Is it weird to do that?"

Kaneki shook his head "I was just wondering, if you are the older me...then that means you would be from the future."

The Centipede's eyes widened a bit "That would make sense." He said; the tone was light, neither acknowledging nor ignoring the statement. "What do you think, Kaneki?"

Kaneki sat quiet, thinking. "I think if you're a consciousness tied to my future self, then you know things, things that will happen..."

The Centipede remained silent.

"But if that's the case, you should be living out your time in a body...10 years in the future maybe." He continued "It wouldn't be possible to-

"Explore with only my consciousness?" The Centipede answered.

Kaneki nodded

The Centipede looked at him, eyes seeming to search for something; after a moment, he smiled. "Well then, that's the end of that conversation." he said with laughter

"Whats so funny?" Kaneki asked, he wasn't sure what the joke was.

The Centipede smiled "I thought this conversation would take us somewhere interesting, but I am bound until you say so..."

"Bound to what?" Kaneki asked

A dark wind whirls suddenly in the space of his mind, the Centipede rises with it. "Wait!" Kaneki called amidst the roar "Bound to what!" He called

The Centipede smiled, looking apologetic as he faded from his mind. "I'm sorry, I've _tripped the breaker_, we'll continue later..." He replied cryptically

When Kaneki came to awareness, the sun had lowered noticeably.

He also smelled something..._unannounced guests. _

Kaneki stormed into the house just as two individuals were standing up from their seats in the living room. Kaneki frowned. "Get out." He demanded

The guests were two ghouls he was not thrilled to see.

"And a good evening to you as well, Kaneki-kun." Abe Saito returned evenly

"We aren't here to see you, nut job." Kurosawa snapped

Hide looked in surprise at everyone's sour reaction"Its okay Kaneki, they called earlier, they wanted to see me."

Kaneki's senses were on high alert "Why did you let them in, Rize-san?" He questioned to the woman reclining on a love seat, fashion magazine in hand.

"Hm? I thought you were all buddy buddy with the IRF." She replied simply

He walked towards them, his gaze level "What do you want to talk to Hide about? "

Abe Saito cleared his throat, handing a manilla folder to Hide's outstretched hand. "We have already spoken to him; the rest is for him to decide."

At the response, Kaneki looked at Hide; He wasn't meeting his gaze.

Seeing the two out, Kaneki went into the living room to find Hide staring at the folder, deep in thought.

"If there was a way for me to get my arm back...would you support me in it?" He heard Hide ask; his heart was racing, he was nervous, afraid.

To Kaneki it was a strange thing; Hide never exhibited any signs of distress at his presence. He didn't want that to become a habit and so he walked over to the couch and sat close to him; filling the space between their bodies.

"Kaneki?" Hide said, trying to wiggle away from the warm skin. "Our faces are touching, your body's hot." He whined, trying to pry his cheek from the ghoul's.

Kaneki remained resolute "Not until you tell me what you mean by that question."

Hide frowned, then huffed and finally spoke; _Good, hes' fine now_, Kaneki thought, moving easily from the close exchange.

Hide stood up abruptly and turned, pointing directly at him.

"Its rude to point, Hide." Kaneki chided

"Don't sweat the small stuff!" Hide barked lightly "Listen up, Kaneki...I'm not a science whizz but I'll try to explain what they were telling me." He began

"Its common for ghoul organizations to leak and or 'borrow' information and secrets from each other, as long as their adapted and reengineered, its okay. The IRF's 'Rc skin' was borrowed by the CCG and they adapted it into what are known as the quinque's of today. Then the IRF borrowed information about quinques to develop something called the 'Skein'." He finished

Kaneki nodded "And they want to try this 'skein' out on you?" He said, unthrilled.

Hide paused, he wanted his approval; Kaneki knew that but he was not going to give it. Hide didn't know what he was getting himself into by trying something so risky.

"Anyway...this small box has the same time release feature as the quinque; the difference is that these Rc cells have had a parasitic strain introduced; when they insert this small box where my arm used to be, my blood will initiate the release and as the organic material mixes with mine, the parasitic nature will cause it to mimic the tissues and repair them...thus giving me back my arm."

Kaneki sighed "Its not that simple, Hide, the introduction of those Rc cells, concentrated in that way, could turn you into a ghoul."

Hide shook his head "Thats why they introduced the parasite; as long as its host is healthy and I keep supplying nutrients, which would be my blood, it won't mutate; it will reproduce but since its mimicking the tissues, it will end up making my arm really strong."

Kaneki was unsure of how to feel about the new information; Hide was sounding hopeful and since it _was_ his fault, he had no right to tell him not to do it or that he couldn't. He heard Hide begin to fidget and spoke:

"I could stop you...if only to protect you." He started, feeling the rise in his friend's heart beat "...but that would be selfish and its not like I have an arm to give you." He finished, feeling the same heart beat slow.

"So..." Hide started

Kaneki gave a small smile "I don't like it...but I support your decision Hide."

The explosion of glee that followed, warmed Kaneki's chest; Hide beamed, pulling him into a strong embrace. "Thanks!" He said, causing the blood to rush to the ghoul's cheeks.

Kaneki waved him away, lest how happy it made him be obvious. "Their using Rc cells in this organic box right? Whose are they? Some ghoul had to contribute them."

Hide looked sheepish "S-someone...special."

"Who?" Kaneki questioned

"You."

* * *

**Note: As Tokyo Ghoul: RE progresses I fully intend on tying its reveals and events with this story...somehow. lol Just have to see more chapters from Ishida-san :)**

**Sometimes I update in a week's time, sometime it could be months; the chapters write themselves and I'm kind of just watching it all like a movie and writing everything down as I see it. **

**I love creating worlds for characters to grow in; I like seeing them do things they've always wanted to; I like them to heal a little; laugh a little; before I throw them into turmoil.**

**People never stay _'in character'_ their whole lives; your _'in character'_ changes with events that happen so I can imagine a character doing a complete 360 and becoming anyone; I let them run wild. **

****I'm also a big supporter of giving side characters some growth time. ****

**The time on the P.O.L.M Luna is not a plot device to bad-assery...When they come back there WILL be a lot going on so this 'Arc', if you will, kind of sets up how they will react to events in the future.**

**HK44**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Kaneki storms off the train in a sector of Luna known as 'Province D'.

Moving into a throng of humans and ghouls he moved with aggravated purpose, leaving his friend to run behind him.

"Wait up Kaneki!" Hide called, pushing his way through the crowd.

Kaneki was angry; A little at Hide and alot at the IRF.

During his rampage they had removed a healthy amount of cellular samples left over at the site. He would have expected Hide to be totally against it, knowing that being what he was had never been easy.

He remembered the argument that followed and Hide becoming choked up and saying he was _sorry_ but thats why he _asked _for his approval. This was the first subversive thing his best friend had ever done to him...and he didn't like it.

He yelled at him until he was in tears; He had to let him know not to do anything like that again.

He may have went too far though; When he threatened to 'disappear', Hide had become pale and went very quiet; even when they went to bed, Hide stayed up for hours, probably thinking that he would leave him in the night.

He reassured him he wasn't going to leave but Hide still held his shirt through the night.

With the morning came the reality of what would happen today and the feelings he'd kept at bay for Hide's sake, were now on full display.

He was crossing the street when Hide's panting invaded his mind; he was going for the procedure today and exhaustion might not be the best way to go under.

He slowed then, extending his hand and reaching for Hide's.

"I'm...not...a kid." Hide said, breathlessly.

Kaneki sighed "It will be a problem if you pass out; they told you nothing solid for 48 hours, right?"

The reflective building loomed above them as they approached; They headed for the glass doors when a familiar voice stopped them. "Kimura-san." Kaneki called, feeling the human woman approach; She had a reserved and stoic way about her.

She regarded them without fanfare "Kaneki-kun and Nagachika-kun...Good morning." She said, no rise of emotion but not lacking emotion either.

Hide grinned "Hide is fine."

She looked him over "Nagachika-kun it is." She said simply "I was instructed by Inoue-sama to bring you to the laboratory; it is east of this complex." She finished

They walked around to the back of the tall building, passing areas with smaller domed facilities and uniformed persons milling about.

"These are separate installations; places where the public cannot access." She said

As they passed a large field, Kaneki smelled the scent of physical exertion. "Do they conduct physical training here?"

"Yes." Kimura replied "This is combat training for those who have received their Rc skin."

Kaneki heard the familiar term and decided to ask about it.

The woman named Kimura walked towards the large fenced area where training was held. Amidst the grunts, sweat, heart beats and muscle movements, Kaneki picked up on their scents...something else was mixed in with the human; the closest thing he could say it smelled like was mold; not very pleasant. He felt the muscles pull just slightly on Kimura's face.

"I see you don't like it, Kaneki-kun." She said with a faint smile

"The skin is a layer of woven Rc cells that act as a second layer of skin." She began "These cells interact with the nervous system and respond by hardening and projecting from the body." She said

"So, the function is like a kagune, without the kakuhou."Kaneki stated

Kimura nodded "The difference is that the skin adapts to body type, and chemical conditions in the body; this allows it to have different manifestations not bound by the four classes."

They made their way to a white domed building and entered; it felt just like the facility he woke in just weeks before.

They took an elevator in silence, making their way to a corridor lined with glass on one side and a black sleek material on the other. The glass window gave a clear view several feet below to a large metallic cube. Persons in lab coats monitored a small object held inside of it, large screens weaving undecipherable data across its surface.

Kaneki touched the glass; he could feel the movement and a large cubed object holding a smaller one; he heard the sounds of functioning equipment, the stroke of keys, the strokes from a pen. "Is this where the procedure will be?"

"Yes, they are running tests again to make sure conditions are optimal." Kimura replied

"I'd really feel better if I could be in there with him when he goes under." Kaneki confessed, not wanting to dampen the excitement clearly painted on his friend's face.

"That is not allowed; you can watch from here."

The conversation is cut short as footsteps approach; Kaneki heard the footsteps but could not detect the scent; there was only one person he knew with that disturbing feature. "Good morning, Dr. Ueno." Kaneki said, none too pleased that the doctor overseeing Hide was this man.

The ghoul known as Dr. Ueno smiled "Kaneki kun..." He began, using that tone that made Kaneki irate; like he was talking down to a child.

"I am looking forward to this procedure for Nagachika-kun...It will be the highlight of our research and every safety procedure has been put in place." He began

"Well how good for your _research_." Kaneki snapped, saying the last word with contempt; his friend was not a research project.

The ghoul smirked and continued "We have checked and rechecked everything; we've brought in doctors from IRF units across the globe; they've put in input, dedicated time and its all culminated in the creation of the **Rc: Enshin**. Today, you witness a historic moment for the IRF." He said, eyes scanning the scene below them with pride and reverence.

Kaneki remained silent.

"Dr. Ueno is one of the top authority's in the development of biotech, using Rc cells; Nagachika-kun is in capable hands." The woman named Kimura said

"And how do you feel today, Hideyoshi-kun? I hope you don't mind me calling you that." Dr. Ueno said, walking past Kaneki and towards the boy. "We'll have a very close relationship from this day on."

"Its fine; I'm just ready to get back to normal..." Hide replied, eyes observing the preparations below. "I feel fine..." Hide said, turning towards Kaneki, unhappy with the state of things.

"...because its Kaneki."

The words stirred him from the pool of his thoughts. "Hide?"

"Because its you in that chamber, I'm not afraid of it becoming apart of me." Hide finished, staring squarely at him.

Somewhere deep inside, Kaneki's heart leaped, but he was in front of Dr. Ueno and Kimura so he kept the blood from rushing to his cheeks and the smile that wanted to surface. "I'm glad you feel that way, Hide." He said simply, getting a knowing smile in return.

"I know you don't like me, Kaneki-kun."

The words were a surprise, they were from the doctor.

"And as well you shouldn't; I am a scientist and so my hunger for new and unexplored territories is ever growing." He began "Should you find yourself in the wrong position, I can't say I could help myself from capturing you, studying you and dissecting you here and there to further my passions; A 'sample' of you is a mere trifle..."

"Dr. Ueno, your kakugan." Kimura chided

He waved her away "Never you mind, he can't see it; Kimura-kun...You should report back to Inoue-sama."

A phantom of displeasure appeared for just a moment on the stoic face and then she turned, brunette strands flowing lightly from a loose bun, fixing a blue eyed gaze on the three before departing.

"Now, back to our conversation." Dr. Ueno said, the scowl on Kaneki's face, growing. "You shouldn't trust me...because YOU are YOU, a specimen I'd like to have to myself and do with what I please..."

Before Kaneki could fire the acid boiling in his throat, the ghoul spoke. "But Hideyoshi-kun is special." He continued "Something I have made, the Enshin, is like my own child and I cherish it. Its only natural to cherish the thing it will inhabit, right?"

"I say that so that you will be at ease, Kaneki-kun; I consider your friend the fruit of my labor; Only a foolish scientist is cruel to their creations."

Kaneki grimaced at the ghoul's twisted logic; Hide looked perturbed by the 'fruit of his labor' comment, but gave that half smile that said he wasn't really on board, but _whatever floats your boat._

"My concern is that Hide will become a ghoul." Kaneki stated, focused on the issues at hand.

"Nonsense; in essence, we are giving Hideyoshi-kun a very powered up prosthetic arm. The possibility for him becoming a ghoul is so infinitesimally small so as to be nonexistent." Dr. Ueno said

The exchanges concluded and ushered Hide further down the hall where sliding doors separated them.

Kaneki flopped down onto a chair and removed his shoes, bare feet touching the ground. His feet were better at 'seeing' than his hands and he followed their vibrations into a small room; he listened as Hide scribbled his signature on papers and had his blood pressure checked and blood drawn.

The doctor left Hide alone to dress in a white gown, and returned with two cups of liquid; they had no smell Kaneki could identify. Kaneki listened as the doctor made small talk, eliciting laughter here and there from the boy. A woman entered and announced that preparations were complete and the two walked further down the hall.

Kaneki stood then, bringing his hands to the glass as he saw them appear down below; Hide's heart was beating fast and he wished he could be there for him.

He wrapped on the glass and spoke loudly. "Its okay Hide, I'll be here when you wake up."

The exhalation he heard next was one of relief, confidence was set in the shoulders and he stood straighter.

Kaneki felt the movement of metal; Hide layed upon the large display and endured as four tubes on each side were stuck in his arms and began injecting a fluid into him, he endured as small pins with wire thin extensions hooked up to big machines and were attached to his head.

Kaneki felt the happening with growing tension, weren't they going to put him under? When he heard the Dr. signal to begin without administering anaesthetic, his stomach lurched...but Hide was fine, yes his heart rate was elevated, he was uncomfortable and, not that it was his business, had to pee...but he was okay and it made Kaneki relax, just a bit.

The metal disk lead Hide into the large cubed chamber housing the Enshin.

There is one small rectangular window, revealing a bright glowing room in the face of it.

Once inside, the Dr. begins moving levers with one hand and typing strange code with another; the robotic limbs in the metallic chamber move in response and begin working on the limbless body; gradually pulling out the very fiber of muscle tissue.

The other robotic limb brings out the cube and touches its surface to the flowing fibers of muscle. The box glows with an explosion of morphing Rc cells; they expand and contract, meeting the fibers and interweaving until the cube sits firmly into the flesh.

In the space of a few breaths the cube disappears completely under the flesh, initiating the growth of marrow, bone, muscle, and skin, until a complete seemingly 'human' arm is formed.

"Status." said, monitoring his handy work; A silent and tense 5 minutes passed as the entire team watched the monitors, checking for adverse effects.

When the time ends only one voice is heard. "The patient has reached full acclimation and stability."

All the tension in the facility releases, fellow scientists pat each other on the back and shake hands with the news of success.

Data is backed up and notes are scribbled furiously by record keepers, samples are taken from the still conscious boy and then he is guided out of the chamber.

Kaneki breathed a sigh of relief; listening in on his friends condition.

He was shocked as, upon Hide's exit from the chamber, large arms embraced his friend.

Dr. Ueno held Hide in his arms and wept, stroking the boy's back like a child.

"You were a success Hideyoshi-kun...I'm so proud of you..." He said and then turning to the others "My creation, the fruit of my labor...My first child." He said to the others, their eyes misting at the emotion shown by their superior.

Kaneki grimaced "Mad scientist..." He grumbled

He felt the gaze directed up at him "I did it, Kaneki."

He heard the words.

"Yeah, you did." He returned with a smile.

* * *

It was high noon as Kaneki and Hide walked out into the streets, Kaneki was smiling freely now, feeling Hide's excitement at the events that had happened not long ago.

He walked with pep, making a point to swing both arms in time with his stride, he hummed lightly, taking endearing glances at the new addition to his person. The smell of endorphins was high, Kaneki hadn't seen his friend so pleased before, it eased the worry in his stomach.

"You really like your new arm huh." He said, laughing as Hide launched into an excited tirade.

They enjoyed a comfortable silence in the park, until Hide stopped abruptly, surveying the area that was vacant of passersby.

He stood squarely in front of him now.

"Hide?"

"Fight me, Kaneki."

Kaneki pretended not to hear the words. "What?"

"I said fight me." Hide said, almost whining.

Kaneki shook his head and continued to walk; he was not about to entertain such a dangerous idea.

"Come on, Kaneki." Hide whined, kicking up pebbles as he walked.

"I don't want that arm to become a weapon to you, Hide." Kaneki began

"To me its just another arm and thats how I want you to see it, for safety's sake." Kaneki reasoned; Allowing his friend into the world of 'ghouls' had already been his first mistake, allowing him into the world of 'fighting ghouls' could cost his friend's life.

Hide remained silent, pouting as it were; he shoved his hands in his pockets and kept moving.

Kaneki sensed the being before it approached; He covered the distance between himself and Hide in an instant before whirling around 360, the legs of his kagune stretching to all sides to deflect.

Steel rods launched themselves from a great distance and he sent them all flying, crashing into the surrounding trees. A gust of wind kicks up dirt, most likely intentional and blocks his view. Panic set in then; he could not see Hide and before he reigned himself in enough to catch his scent, the being's kagune was headed straight for his neck.

In a moment, his life flashed before his eyes; _So, death by decapitation_ He thought.

The mask covering their vision faded and all was silent. Kaneki moved in the best possible way, trying to avoid the laceration that would send his head flying and, at the most, leave his throat open and creating a fountain; he could recover from that.

He inhaled deeply, ignoring the irritation the particles brought to his lungs.

He could smell Hide; his heart was elevated and his muscles were tense...but not as a result of fear.

When the air cleared completely three figures stood in view.

Hide stood before him, his arm held out like a shield.

The limb was now a dark charcoal, red veins pulsing and traveling the length of his arm. One eye stained crimson, with half of a black sclera, stared defiantly at the attacker that had no face. Remnants of its attack left an impression in the arm, as a tendril from a rinkaku pierced it.

There was tension and silence...then realization.

"Kamishiro?" Hide said, confusion plain on his face.

Rize Kamishiro came into view, a fluttering white dress and sunhat, her attire.

She smiled, her kakugan fading and her kagune with it. "Good arm, snack chan."

Hide grinned in spite of himself "Thanks, I just surprised myself."

"Rize-san!" Kaneki yelled in distress, gaining their looks "How could you do that?!" He barked "You could have killed him!"

Rize shook her head "If I wanted to kill snack chan he'd be dead already, Ken-kun." "I had to confirm for myself; that he was capable."

"What?" Kaneki didn't understand.

"I suppose you wouldn't." she replied cooly "You may think its fine to leave fragile things, fragile, but I'm sure Hide doesn't feel that way." she said softly "See? He kept your head from rolling."

Kaneki looked towards Hide, who was now looking back at him; he should have thanked him, but he was still irate and turned to the object of his distress. "What if Hide hadn't stepped in? Were you trying to kill me?"

"No...but you would have lost a bit of your neck." She replied easily

Kaneki frowned "This is why I don't get close to you."

Rize appeared to look hurt by the statement and moved behind him, resting her arms over his shoulders, her hands gliding lightly over his shirt "Its your own fault, if you paid a little more attention..."

Kaneki turned to her, their faces very close. "It doesn't excuse what you've done." he said firmly, her scent washing over him in a way that always made him blush.

She cooed, nudging his neck. "It was only a test, I was completely in control."

Kaneki sighed, there was no winning when it came to the female ghoul. The fact that her scent and the feel of her made him shaky did nothing to help; she was as changeable as the wind and would just as easily cause him trouble as she would help him get out of it. Still, he thought, she had protected him and Hide when they needed it the most; she even carried them unconscious back to their home and waited until they woke.

He didn't know if her seeming 'affection' was real but she was sticking around them and hadn't broken her agreement to help. It was in these thoughts that something had occurred to him, something important that he wanted to talk to her about.

"Rize-san, would you like to go out tonight?"

The woman's eyes widened, she hadn't expected the words, let alone the reaction.

Her heart beat just a little faster; she had always scoffed at literature using it as an indication of love between humans. Here she was though, feeling the same thing...it made her happy? She felt the blood rush to her cheeks and pulled away abruptly, startling him.

"Don't think you can do whatever you want, Kaneki." She barked, unsure of why she was upset in the first place. Kaneki looked at her curiously, the chemical reactions taking place inside her weren't unfamiliar. "Just so we can talk..." He said, noting the way she bristled at the statement.

She bit her lip, frustrated. _I'm just being silly _she thought _falling for myself_.

"Fine, I'll see you later then." She said, lost in her own thoughts.

In typical fashion, she didn't wait for his reply and was out of sight quickly, graceful form weaving through the shadow of trees.

Kaneki shook his head "I never know what she's thinking." he mused

Hide had been silently watching the affair as usual but his attention was more on what had just happened to him.

Looking at his eye in the reflection of his phone screen, he wondered just how he knew what to do when the attack came at Kaneki; it took no great effort, only his desire to protect him.

Maybe it was because they were Kaneki's cells, that they reacted so quickly to him being in danger. He was pleased; for the first time, he could help his friend in a way that was beyond working in the shadows or giving information to others who had more power than he did.

"I'll protect you, Kaneki."

Kaneki sighed as the two continued their stroll. "I'll make sure not to need protecting then." He said in response

He knew that Hide meant it and now nothing would stop him from interfering...he had entered the world of 'fighting ghouls' and from of the looks of it, he enjoyed it.

* * *

It was night when Kaneki left the house alone.

He was going to meet with Rize so they could talk; He was glad she had called to set a time and location, he didn't want to have to go sniffing around to find her.

Their destination was a small lounge nestled into a strip of fine restaurants.

He was welcomed by the scent of drinks and the hum of hushed conversation;

The lounge was dim and light jazz played in the back ground.

Among it all he could still pick up her scent; she was seated in the back, sipping from a wine glass.

"Evening." He said, sitting down; it hadn't occurred to him until that moment. It really did seem like a date.  
"Aren't you going to compliment my dress?" She said

He chuckled "If I could see it." He replied, the dry humor of the question releasing the tension he felt.

She stood, guiding him to sit closer to her.

She grabbed a bottle filled with dark liquid and poured him a cup. "Don't worry, its special." She said, sliding the glass to him

"I...don't drink much." Kaneki admitted

She laughed "You should try it at least, we can't really get drunk anyway."

Kaneki felt the glass; she hadn't filled it by much. He brought the glass to his lips sampling the liquid; it was strong, but sweet.

"I want to talk about what happened the day of the accident." He started, seeing her demeanor change; it was a day that changed both of their lives forever but there was something he remembered, something important, and if he told her, he might have a clue as to who was responsible.

"A ghoul called Itori told me about you; that your name isn't your own." He began

She remained silent.

"The only connection that the name Kamishiro has is with a ghoul named Masataka Kamishiro; he was the leader in the 6th ward, now he's with Aogiri Tree."

Rize frowned "That shitty old man, I knew he was weak." She snapped; Kaneki guessed she meant in a way other than physical, because in that department, the man was an ungodly force.

"So you want me to talk about my past?" Rize asked, interrupting his thoughts.

"No...Something Itori-san also said was bothering me." He replied "She said what happened that night was no accident, that it was planned. I asked Hide about it; From what he learned at the CCG, the fact that those beams fell, when every industrial safety measure had been taken, was strange; they had secured them and it was tampered with."

"So, someone was watching." Rize said, her voice, very quiet. "Someone wanted me dead."

Kaneki nodded "Thats what I think and...I remembered something; from before I lost consciousness."

Rize listened intently

"Someone was there." Kaneki said, the admission painting the scene vividly in his mind's eye, making him sure without a doubt. "Someone was there looking down; he was wearing a clown mask."

Rize remained quiet for several moments; her breath was controlled. He waited for her to respond but after a minute passed, decided that maybe she was trying to remember.

"Do you know any group that wears masks like that?" He asked, hoping to push her from the turmoil she seemed to be going through.

"Yes." She said, very softly. It seemed to take a lot of strength to say those words.

"Who?" Kaneki pressed, she had gone quiet again.

Kaneki felt the rise in blood lust and her muscles tense.

"Pierrot." She snarled


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

* * *

Kaneki found himself in an interesting position; it was late at night and he was being dragged through the streets with hordes of onlookers, holding for dear life to the female ghoul; her kagune flared like angry petals, her kakugan fiery and intense. She was leaving, she said, to kill them_...'those bastard clowns'. _

He tried to stop her; There was no way she'd stop anything in that state, it might even endanger her; and how long did it take to get back to Tokyo from here?

With all these concerns he placed himself in her path, determined to hold her in place, even if it meant bearing the fury of her anger.

It didn't turn out as he planned; she merely pulled him along as if he weighed nothing; women became incomparably strong when angry, he had to learn that.

He dug his heels in, arms wrapped around her small waist; hoping it wasn't too tight but also hoping it was tight enough. Being an anchor seemed to work because when they started approaching dark waters, she whipped around and flung him to the ground.

"Don't get in the way Kaneki." She snapped firmly, staring daggers at the black waters.

"Rize-san." Kaneki started, holding his hands up in defense "Please think about this a little; we don't know how large this group is, or who all of its members are...We can't just barge in-

"**We** aren't doing anything; I am going alone, you can play house with snack-chan and I'll do the real work." She snapped angrily

Kaneki shook his head in frustration "What will it take to keep you here? To make you listen to me?" He said

"Absolutely nothing." She said defiantly

Kaneki fumed "Don't be stubborn! Tokyo is crawling with doves, and with Aogiri's members multiplied, it would be a matter of time before Shachi found you and you were back in Kanou's lab!" He snapped

"At best, you'll be interrogated, then thrown into Kokuria for the rest of your life; at worst, you'll be locked in a test tube for the rest of your life...I don't want any of those scenarios for you." He pleaded, hoping she would listen to reason.

He heard her laugh "_But for a single drop of nectar's revenge, I would sell my body and soul; let heaven reap judgement upon my head; let devils brand me with the fool's coal_..."

Kaneki listened to the strange recitation

"His name is Nou...Nou Shiori; An author I think you'd like." Rize said quietly "I'm so angry I can't see straight, but I understand, Kaneki...You want to keep me safe like the rest of your precious things."

In the slosh of dark waters, a night sky full of bright stars, Kaneki thought; They should have been enjoying such a scene.

"I'm not trying to keep you; only to prevent the same mistakes that I made." Kaneki replied

"Revenge is over once your opponent is dead." He continued, speaking from experience. "Even if you keep them alive, they'll surely die by your hand eventually...and when they do, you're left with their actions, stained forever in your mind and body."

"_Revenge is a mirage, drawing men to its temptuous waters only to quench them with sand_." He recited "Midori Hikaru."

The two stood quiet in the silence that followed, listening to each other's heart beat, to the light intake of breath.

"Lets go back, Rize-san." Kaneki said, extending his hand. "The IRF has a criminal database you can search; I'll see if Hide knows anything as well. We're in a great position to plan the best offensive. Lets do this, _together_."

Rize felt her rage subside in the warmth of the ghoul's words.

He wasn't trying to deceive her, he wasn't trying to control her. He didn't look down on her and aside from caring about humans, he didn't shun her being what she was. He was real and solid...the first thing she thought she could actually count on; thats why he warmed her heart, though the chill of night was great. His lone hand, battered and abused, still reached out for someone; it was stupid, she thought...but when extended to her...

She sighed, this would not do; she was only feeling this way since he had a part of herself inside of him, she thought; thats why she always let her guard down.

She walked closer to him, taking the hand that still was extended. She smiled at the sigh of relief that came from him. "I'll go back, for today." She said, relishing in the look on his face.

* * *

A meeting took place in the IRF Headquarters; A folder lay in the center of the oval glass table, bearing the familiar code 007A.

At the table sat the elderly ghoul who seemed to hold sway over all in the IRF; her soft green eyes took in the faces around her.

Kimura, Ito Oshiro and Abe Saito were the only ones present.

"Inoue-sama." Abe Saito began "Kaneki shows exceptional strength and potential to rise through our ranks in record time. I think now would be the perfect time to enroll him into the special selection class and have him stationed in Beta."

The ghoul named Inoue turned her attention to Ito Oshiro, whose face was scrunched up in displeasure. Seeing it was his turn, he spoke.

"I disagree with agent Abe's assessment." He started "This young man...child, actually, has only reached such thresholds because of severe torture and mental stress. We can hardly call what comes from that, _exceptional talent_. Talent is natural, talent born from trauma is not." He said, emotion plain in his voice.

"And its that behavior that will cause him more pain." Abe cut in "Let Delta have him and we will see a marvelous work unfold."

"If done as you plan it, we'll see a monster." Ito Oshiro said

"We see that he has the strength, the endurance, he has everything even our best graduates don't, in the way of power and skill." Ito continued "What he doesn't have though, is the mental and emotional aspect of it; he's unstable." Ito finished

Here Abe laughed, shaking his head. "**I** was an unstable ghoul...and look how I turned out? He will be fine with the right hand."

Ito frowned "Remember, Abe-kun, it was Inoue-sama's kindness and love from humans, that made you whole; NOT from brutal training."

Here, Abe went silent.

"What do you propose then?" Inoue asked "Are you saying you can make Kaneki stable?"

Ito sighed "Kaneki can make himself stable...with a nudge or two here and there. The less trauma he endures, the better; I ask you to put his leadership training to me."

Inoue turned to Abe Saito, who seemed lost in thought. "You have no rebuttal, Sai-kun?"

Abe bristled at the nickname "I...forgot; the reason why I like humans was because of _that_."

Turning to Kimura, who had listened with her usual stoic grace, Inoue addressed her. "As the neutral party, what do you think, Ki-kun?"

Kimura looked at both of them. "I think Ito-san's judgement will have a better outcome and less risk."

Inoue nodded and addressed them all. "I too think Ito's judgement is best and approve of him overseeing Kaneki's leadership training; in addition, at least once a week, I would like combat training to be taught by Abe."

The three inclined their heads, no further words needed. "As you wish, Inoue-sama."

* * *

Kaneki woke with considerable confusion.

A moment of perplexity always crept up on him, when he was greeted with the scent that smelled like his own; but surely he couldn't be laying next to himself.

This cerebral moment made his head spin, until he felt the honey blonde hair that was a texture unlike his own.

Then Hide would turn over and face him, bringing his human hand to the pale face. "Its me." He would say simply and the moment would be forgotten.

Getting dressed, he came downstairs to find Rize at the table, sipping coffee and watching the news.

He frowned "Don't walk in here unannounced and have breakfast." He chided

Rize waved away his concern. "I practically live here now, Kaneki...Didn't you say to stay with you forever?"

Kaneki shook his head "I didn't say anything like that."

"Oh? Sounded like that to me; Last night you held me close, begging me to never let you go...it was under starlight." She said, like reciting a romantic memory "You sung me a sonnet by Midori Hikaru and we strolled hand in hand into the city."

Kaneki couldn't help but smile "Is that what happened?"

The two laughed lightly, the sound interrupted by abrupt footsteps.

"So, you two had a great time then." Hide said, flopping down into a chair with a yawn.

Kaneki nodded "It was...eventful."

"Thats good, then." Hide said abruptly

Rize turned to him with a smirk "Whats wrong, snack-chan? You look terrible..."

She grinned "Trouble sleeping without onii-chan last night?"

Kaneki looked in shock at the personal jab at his friend, ready to berate her for it, when Hide spoke up.

"No...I slept just fine!" He barked, face obviously flushed "And whose my onii-chan!?" He snapped "He wasn't gone _that _long." He mumbled

Rize grinned "Ho...thats nice, Hide."

The look said she didn't believe him; Hide frowned.

Kaneki smiled "I'll make you some coffee, Hide."

Hide appeared uninterested but brightened noticeably; giving a defiant look to Rize, he moved to the counter to help him. "I'll make breakfast then."

Hide making breakfast was always a sight to see for Kaneki.

It always began with a package of raccoon meat and a case full of herbs and spices; Hide said they were specifically for ghouls. He brought out other food items that looked safe for humans to consume but had been labeled since they _would _kill a human.

He worked the ingredients in ingenious ways, the final touch being, to infuse a tall glass jar, full with his blood and other things, over and into the meal and let it sit.

What evolved was a steaming delight that smelled delicious and made his mouth water; he had to ask where Hide learned to cook.

With the coffee finished, Kaneki volunteered and made a human breakfast for Hide, Rize joining in to help.

At the end, the three sat down to a meal they could all enjoy and ate in pleased silence.

"I've been wondering..." Rize said, sometime after the food they ate was gone to their stomachs. "How do you get dressed everyday? And actually match?" she inquired; it had been a mystery to her. "Can you feel colors?"

Kaneki was surprised by the question, but was welcome to answer it.

"No...but I can feel textures. I have three kinds of pants, denim, black and corduroy. Those three fabrics usually go with any kind of shirt, so I feel around. Maybe one has a collar, maybe one is a sweater...and I put them together that way."

Kaneki was quite proud of the system, one of his biggest concerns was not being able to do things like dress himself properly, but he'd overcame it easily.

"Hm." Rize took in the information with intrigue. "And this..._sleeping arrangement _you two have...doesn't it get too much?"

Hide looked curiously "What do you mean?"

Rize sighed, shaking her head "What do mean, what do I mean? You're two guys; I would think you'd need privacy sometime."

Kaneki looked on, confused, but Hide caught what she was getting at. "I have my own room across the hall and I spend most of my time there, Kaneki has his room to himself; plus, I always start off falling alseep in my own bed."

Kaneki, still unsure of the nature of the probe, put in a word "Hide sleeps for a while in his room; then in the middle of the night, I never know the exact time, he'll come in with me."

Rize nodded, as if gaining untold secrets "And you wait for him to come in before you can sleep?"

Kaneki paused a moment, before sheepishly nodding. "I do."

"So it's not like we're living in the same room, sleeping through the whole night and dressing at the same time. We give each other a lot of space." Hide finished

Before Rize probed further into the two males living relationship; the door bell rang.

Kaneki stood up; Rize didn't care enough to send uninvited guests away and Hide was too easy going to do it; _He _was the best choice for these things. Approaching the door, he picked up on a scent traveling through the window.

He opened the door and welcomed agent Ito Oshiro inside.

Sitting now in the living room, he sat a cup of coffee before the man and continued to nurse his own.

"How are you, Kaneki-kun?" Ito asked

"I'm doing well." He said and for the first time in a long while, he meant it.

"I know the incident in the abandoned sector is still fresh, but we'd like to speed up your progress and begin your leadership training." He said

Kaneki nodded "Will I still have to take the special exam?"

Ito shook his head, recalling the meeting the night before. "No, instead, you'll meet with me twice a week and Abe once a week; is that okay?"

"That's fine." Kaneki replied, he was glad to be moving closer to his goal.

"Then, I'll see you next week."

* * *

Next week arrived quickly and Kaneki found himself in a beautiful courtyard; It housed a vast flower nursery and for the first time in a while, he longed to see colors.

He contented himself by running his hands across them; the ones above his head were tulips; hydrangea were down below. Immersed in the natural perfume, he was all smiles when Ito Oshiro approached him.

They walked in silence, the chipper hum of honey bees their companions.

"This is a weird place to do training, Ito-san." Kaneki said, but he wasn't upset about the change.

"The type of training I want to do doesn't require you to fight." Ito replied.

"What then?"

"Lets talk a little, Kaneki-kun."

The two walked around the large courtyard, following winding trails and small ponds.

"What is the most important thing to you?" Ito asked as they strolled leisurely.

Kaneki didn't have to think about it. "Protecting those I care about."

Ito let the words hang above them. "Does a leader protect others?" He asked

Kaneki thought that was obvious "He has to...they're counting on him."

"It can be hard to do that, can't it? You've lost alot." Ito said

Kaneki grew quiet. "Even if its hard...its harder to live without being able to protect them." He said

"So...what you've endured, has been worth it?"

"Yes, because I'm not alone." He replied quietly; The conversation was soothing and carried him peacefully into thoughts that would usually create a storm.

Where aberrations once stood to make a traumatic soup of him, he found quiet. Somehow the man's tone, the atmosphere, lulled him into a peaceful state.

"Where are your friends now, Kaneki-kun? The people you want to protect." Ito questioned; He had him now, gently cradling his consciousness towards receptive submission.

A place where he could solidify the trust growing between them and hopefully introduce a new way of being. He didn't feel good about using cognitive hypnotism, using his tone of voice, the rise and fall of it, the environment, to lead the boy into a vulnerable place, but he knew, that more than fighting, more than leadership...the boy needed to _heal._

"Sit down with me, Kaneki." Ito said lightly; they sat on a bench overlooking a clear pond, the younger male moved slowly, obeying without question.

"Those I care about are in the 6th and 20th wards." Kaneki said calmly "I miss them but I'm doing this for them."

"Is there anything you like to do, Kaneki?" Ito asked

"I like to read books. Its also fun teaching others how to read and write; I even studied Japanese literature in school." He responded

Ito looked surprised "Thats a good skill to have; I think you should put it to use."

Kaneki smiled "No, I don't have time for that."

"Have you ever thought about there being time in the future?" Ito asked "When all your plans are finished; Have you thought about it?"

"I always thought..." Kaneki began "I might be dead by then; throwing myself into the fires with the last enemy."

Ito frowned "That's not healthy, Kaneki...Who says you have to die then?"

"Its just...what would be left? of me? of my old self?" He questioned

"What about your new self, Kaneki? Your new self isn't bad at all." Ito said "Yes, this new self needs to heal I think, but this self also has the strength to protect those around him; to protect someone means you care about them and that requires having a heart; You don't need an old self to keep moving."

Kaneki didn't really see it that way; Ito could tell, but decided to plow ahead anyway.

"So we've established that this Kaneki is not so different; I want to talk about teaching, who have you taught to read and write?" Ito asked

"Hinami-chan...and Banjou-san." He replied, the images of the two making him smile.

"I think you'd make a great teacher..." Ito said "Since you like it."

Kaneki laughed "I don't think I fit the teacher _look_...I might scare the children away."

Ito smiled "Hm?...I said nothing about _children_, Kaneki...So, you want to teach children?"

"I didn't-

"But you did, Kaneki-kun and thats fine, I'd like to hear some of the things you want to do." Ito said

Prompted by the tone, Kaneki thought and spoke of the desires that fluttered to the surface.

"I would like to teach children...To own a coffee shop...to travel the world...have a family..." The ghoul cut his recitation short, what was the purpose of this? Weren't they supposed to be training?

"You can't do any of those things if you throw yourself into the flames with the last enemy." Ito chided "And the fact that those desires exist is proof enough that you haven't given up."

"Its nice having a heart full of dreams." Ito said lightly, patting his head "You need a heart to be alive." He continued "I want you to start living with that new heart of yours Kaneki...and see just how strong it makes you."

The words echoed in his head.

"Relying on my heart is what cost me everything." He returned bitterly

"No..." Ito countered firmly "Believing in something other than your _heart_ is what costs us."

"When we are young we have only what those around us say to guide us; our parents teach us things, things that we may believe our whole lives until we find out differently...Is there someone like that for you, Kaneki?"

"If I had followed my heart...I would have told her to stop." Kaneki interrupted, already sensing the truth of the words.

"I would have kicked and screamed and made a fuss so she'd stop working herself to death and stay with me..." Kaneki said, barely a whisper

Ito nodded "So you see that its the heart that is the ally and I want you to think about your heart over the next week no matter what you do; Ask your heart what it thinks first."

Ito Oshiro pulled a piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to Kaneki. He very slowly closed his hand around it,feeling as if he were moving in slow motion; finally grasping the page in braille, he processed the information.

"As an aid in your training, I'm assigning you to the IRF's children's ward; Your job will be to teach and care for the children there until their parents get off from work."

Kaneki looked confused "But why...?"

"_Kaneki-kun_..." Ito Oshiro called, saying his name with an intonation that was anything but normal "_Wake up.._."

"I'm NOT sleeping." Kaneki snapped suddenly, irritated with the out of place demand. "I never was." He finished calmly

And it was true; Sure, he was now fully aware of his surroundings, was alert, and felt like he'd had a nap, but he hadn't been so comfortable as to fall asleep; He was speaking with the man the whole time.

Ito Oshiro remained silent; Thats what was special about his kind of 'persuasion'. It didn't make the person unconscious or rob them of their faculties; He could make them do anything, at anytime, for any reason; its why he was known as the IRF's_ puppet master_ and was still called that in hushed tones_; _Its also why he spent a lot of his time alone.

No one wanted a partner or a benefactor for that matter, who could program you without your knowledge.

It had taken him years to get the _at-arm's-length_ trust he had with many members in the organization.

Kaneki didn't know what he was, but as they spent more time together he feared the murmurings would start...As they always did when he tried to get close.

Ito Oshiro could not be trusted, is what they'd say.

That he was a serial murderer; killing 100 ghouls with his _persuasion_; Some he made to consume themselves, some to consume each other; mother's murdered their children, employees when on killing sprees, perfectly sane individuals went mad.

All at the hands of one human born with a certain talent and who had everything taken away from him. All by a man who, regardless of the deaths taken in vengeance, had not been able to bring them back.

"You never told me what type of training we'd be doing, Ito san."

The question roused the man from his thoughts.

"This _is_ the training, Kaneki, you did well today." Ito said "We're training your heart.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

* * *

If training with Ito Oshiro was a walk in the park...

Then training with Abe Saito was a dive into an icy hell...

Beneath the IRF complex, Kaneki lie bound to a metal seat, leaning precariously over a tank of icy liquid.

Abe Saito told him that the liquid was special in that it instantly dropped the body's temperature to the point of death.

However, The metal band sent shocks to keep the body from dying when it reached that point.

The band carried a module that he wrote himself.

He said it would help Kaneki to overcome his fears of losing those he cared for; Kaneki couldn't imagine how he'd overcome anything when the idea of the session from the first day was _fear._

In fact, it was a nightmare.

After being given a small introduction, the ghoul showed no mercy and no patience.

The module ran a simulation of his friends, all in dangerous situations and all at the same time; He was to do a specific task...and if he failed he would have to watch them die.

He had to overcome his urge to lose control and not consume his enemies for strength; It was a scene he would never wish on anyone.

The feeling of being suspended made it worse; Now he had to battle with vertigo, his fear and the punishment that would result if he should fail.

"_**Dunk him**_." Those two words Kaneki grew to hate with a passion; They were cruel and without remorse. When coming from his submerged hell he shivered to the point of hysteria.

His body burned as if on fire, his head pounded furiously, the taste of blood was in his throat as the frost made it raw; it was a cold no ghoul could stand. He couldn't think, his mind a blank space that not even the Centipede could pierce.

His teeth chattered until they slowly wore down and it was painful for teeth to regenerate. His muscles spasmed continuously as the shivering drove his body to the brink.

Skin tinged blue and a mouth open in shock greeted Abe Saito as he signaled for the boy to be lifted.

"Kaneki Ken!" He bellowed impatiently "Why do you keep making the same mistake!" He yelled, banging an angry fist onto the table.

"I-I-I-I..."

"STOP. Stuttering." Abe snarled

"I CAN'T SEE!" Kaneki croaked, the force of the yell sending him in agony.

"You don't need to see!" He yelled "Hinami is falling from a building, Hideyoshi-kun is in the clutches of a ghoul, his bones are being broken I might add; BOTH of them are in distress, who do you save?" He questioned

"Hi-hi-na-m-"

"WRONG!" Abe Saito yelled angrily, signaling for him to be dunked again.

When he rose from the icy fires again he could not find his voice.

"Are the injuries from a fall and those of broken bone the same?!" Abe Saito continued to rant

"Ito Oshiro was right! You DON'T need to be fighting, you need to LISTEN!" He snarled

"The **scent **of adrenaline from fear and that of physical trauma is different! The **sound** of a shocked spine and marrow seeping into the blood stream is different! In this case, if you had LISTENED Hideyoshi wouldn't be dead!" He barked "No ghoul has ever died from simply falling." He grumbled

"Don't...don't say their names...bastard..." Kaneki managed to gasp, the shocks bringing him back to coherency.

Abe snorted "I only repeat what I see on the neuron monitor and what you say, I'm not mentioning them in any way other than a training aspect. "Now..." He began, exasperated "All I'm asking you to do is save everyone...in order of **importance**. While Hinami is a girl and young, keep in mind she has kagune from both parents and they _will _brace her for impact. Hideyoshi has but one powerful arm and no kagune to defend himself; the goal is to protect the one who needs you most."

The man was right, Kaneki thought, Hide was human, it _should _have been him he saved...but Hinami was like his little sister, how could he-

"Being a leader isn't just about running into the fray and saving everyone, Kaneki." Abe said, interuppting his thoughts

"Its about making wise and calculated decisions; right actions, actions that have outcomes that benefit the whole. Losing Hideyoshi is now a chink in the armor of defense..."Understand, in order to guide and command others, in order to take control and have power, you need to exercise that over yourself."

He sighed, rising from his seat "For today's session at least, you did NOT do that...you **fail **today."

Thus the sessions would end and he would be left a wreck.

One thing that made the sessions bearable was the process by which he was 'normalized'.

Abe Saito would place him into a solution that would raise his temperature to a relaxing warmth, he would press his muscles here and there, suddenly very gentle and make him feel like he'd just rested for days.

He was allowed to shower and his clothes were cleaned; He was given a quality meal to bring back his nutrients and then had to record his experiences in a journal that Abe Saito would read; He had to be honest in them because it would be the difference between having a mildly traumatic session and a disaster.

After the normalization process, they'd travel to the surface and Abe would talk about himself.

He didn't really care that the ghoul liked humans or the funny things he thought humans did. He went on about his sculpting hobby and bonsai tree lessons; things that were inane. Still, when he was left to go home, the session always seemed like a dim nightmare and he could let it rest in a small corner of his mind in peace...at least until the time came again.

Maybe Abe Saito wanted to remind him that he was not the devil's incarnate, but a living breathing person; tasked with a cruel and unusual job.

* * *

Kaneki rose early, leaving Hide and Rize, who now permanently occupied a room upstairs *much to his displeasure* to go to the IRF Headquarters.

It was only two days a week he did this but over the past few weeks they had become his two favorite days.

He carried a bag full of colorful things Rize had helped him pick out; he had an apron for everyday of the week.

He rode the train humming lightly, songs he would sing and silly poems he'd recite.

He saw their faces in his mind's eye; knew them by scent and by name. He could think of every word they said and which ones made him smile the most.

He approached the IRF building and entered from the West entrance of the complex.

These alternative entrances were secure and he had to submit finger prints and go through DNA sampling each time. Upon entering he flashed his ID to enter his arrival in the system.

He walked the grounds for a while until he came to a square building; hand prints in different colors decorated the white building. Paintings and misshapen letters decorated the windows. He entered happily and greeted the lady at the desk.

"Good Morning, Sanae-chan." He said

The young woman smiled "Morning! They're all ready for you, Kaneki-san." She said laughing "They're roudy today...someone leaked that you have a surprise for them."

Kaneki smiled "Hmm...I can guess who."

Kaneki walked to the end of the bright hallway, passing rooms with classes going on.

There was only one room that was his, it had the sky blue door on the right.

He stood before it now, looking through the large window adjacent to it. He watched as the children milled about, removing their jackets and putting up their back packs. A woman inside worked to keep them contained as they bounced around playfully; she seemed overwhelmed.

He entered with a round of squeals and a look of relief from the woman.

"Neki-sensei!" The group of little faces cheered, rushing him and climbing in high speed. He swayed, lifting as many as his arms could hold. When his arms were full he released his kagune, wrapping the rest safely in the arms of his rinkaku.

And this was okay, because these were _ghoul _children. Often cradled by their mothers and fathers and exposed to its use in the same way.

They wiggled and laughed in the glowing tendrils, squeezing them affectionately.

If someone had told him that such a sight was possible, he might not believe it until he saw it. Here in this place, he lived such impossible sights. Everything that made him a ghoul was okay and an instrument to care for the children.

From the first day he arrived the children welcomed him; they misbehaved, they asked a lot of questions, they cried and wanted attention...everything kids should do.

The upside was that he didn't need to work to gain their trust...a ghoul's scent told a lot and they had decided from day one that they liked his.

He loved it even more when it came to learning. They were so smart he could go over advanced texts with them and they'd understand the concept...never like an adult but in a way that showed a high level of intelligence.

He wondered if it was because they used the 'complete' ghoul brain, as the Centipede was trying to get him to do.

For every name he had a title; Shouta Kenma was the '_trouble maker_', Itsuki Sakura was the '_princess_', Mori Takuya was the '_wild child_'...Every one of them had a personality of their own and together made every day lively.

Walking slowly with the weight of little people, he relieved the woman and delivered them to the multicolored carpet.

"Neeekkiii Seennseeiii!" The children would sing, a little tune that warmed his heart. "What did you bring us today?" They chimed

"Hm...I wonder." Kaneki said, feigning innocence

He meant to tease them a little, but when it came to his presents, things got out of hand.

"I thought you told us he had a surprise Shouta!" A little girl known as '_the boss_' yelled.

"Kikuri-kun...We don't yell in our friends faces." Kaneki chided

"Yes sensei..." She said, pouting "...but he _did _say it."

"I hear it!" Mori the '_wild child_' spoke up; His english wasn't as good as the others but his intelligence was the same. "Him say Kaneki bring present!" "Present not here!" He barked

"Takuya-kun, your grammar..." Kaneki said; it was cute though.

"Excuse me..." An airy and pitched voice said; it was _'the princess' _"Neki-sensei..." He could hear the flutter of her eye lashes, the flow of her dress as she pirouetted.

"Yes, Sakura-kun?" Kaneki said, gathering the materials they'd need for morning activity.

"Do you notice anything different today?" She asked, holding her small chin high.

Kaneki listened intently; He could tell by the feel of the fabric that it wasn't a new dress...and her hair was in curls as usual...So...

"Oh, how rude of me, your new shoes are lovely." He said graciously

The little girl would smile and blush, running to her fellow 'princesses' and gush about the simple complement. Kaneki laughed to himself, they were like little adults.

Bringing the materials he needed to prepare at their desks; He stood above them as they engaged in little people conversation, some students outside of the circle, some doing other things.

He needed their attention now.

Incidentally, he was able to do this by flexing the muscle and bone in his fingers; the same action he'd..._inherited _from Yamori.

The little ghouls would stop no matter what they were doing and come towards him; he didn't know what about it settled them down, maybe because it _was_ unsettling, but it had come to be an invaluable tool.

They milled around him, all attentive. "Kenma-kun was right, I do have something for you today and after I give it to you we'll use it for this morning's activity."

He reached into the bag he brought with him and pulled out a case of paint sets. "There's one for each of you."

"He got us paints!" Takuya screeched, gripping the oval case with force.

"Yeaahhhh, Kanekiiii!" bellowed the one known as 'lungs'.

Kaneki laughed as she held the set above her head like a trophy and danced; The child could never say anything without screaming it out; like she was in a stadium "Your inside voice, Ayano-kun."

"Thank you, Kaneki-sensei."

Kaneki turned to his right; that was the 'wise one' Fujiwara Kouji; he sat to himself often, watching the others with a smile, he was also one of the only ones to call him by his name. He spent most of his time in books and loved nature; He was a child after his own heart. "Your very welcome, Kouji-kun." He made a point to say.

He placed painting boards in front of them and began to speak.

"Today you'll use your paint to tell me about your dreams." He said "Things you'd like to have, what you want to be...You can put it all here. You can make it however you want."

The students eyes sparkled and with the assignment given they moved to their desks.

It was thought that exposing the brain to creative process in the morning made it easier for the mind to keep up with the rigors of left brain thinking.

After the morning activity the class took on a more analytical focus.

Their curriculum involved history, literature, mathematics and science; all of it within IRF parameters.

The IRF parameters were crazy, Kaneki thought; it was things you taught in high school, not elementary school...As far as he was concerned these were kindergarteners.

He also thought the reading materials and assignments were too much for the children but he tried his best to condense everything and make it understandable.

Surprisingly they kept up and the lowest grade a student ever received was a C+: He wished he had grew up with such an education.

When their left brain processes had been worked to the max, it was time for lunch; To Kaneki, this had to be the strangest and most entertaining part of the day.

"Thats enough for now, lunch time everyone."

With the last three words he would get a cheer; he could sense everyone's kakugan glittering with excitement.

Ghouls were first and foremost predators that hunted, so when lunch time came, that's just what they did.

Coming to a forest that was a contained ecosystem, they were allowed to go in and hunt for raccoons.

Genetically bred to have abnormal speed and girth, Kaneki had failed miserably to catch one the first time. He knew he had failed when they started giving him tips.

He was supposed to demonstrate his _expertise_ and anything else to help them become good hunters not just for raccoons but _any_ mammal.

As it stood, he was now able to round up enough to feed two of the little armies but now was in a position to help them.

"My...my kagune won't turn on!" Yue, the 'cry baby', wailed

Kaneki took the boy into his arms "Its not like a toy, where you press a button and it comes 'on' you have to want to use it...Close your eyes..." He instructed "Now think of how great it would be to have that racoon, right in the palm of your hand."

The ethereal potrusions shot from the boy's kakuhou instantly and he squealed with glee as he let him run loose.

When lunch time was over then clean up was in order. That usually involved the kids cleaning their face, arms and hands; putting their 'inside' clothes back on and leaving the uniforms they had to wear for 'lunch' to the hamper to be washed by the staff.

Lunch time was followed by naptime and naptime was followed by reading hour.

As the sun lowered, the children's parents funneled in to pick them up; all of them were employees at the IRF and not Regulators whose shifts typically started after dark.

When reports on each of the children were given and the last child left the room, he was left with the pleasing echo of laughter and a comforting warmth in his chest.

When the tables were washed, the carpet swept, art supplies put away and notebooks gathered, he would make his way home.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

* * *

"I'm home." Kaneki called softly.

His was not a scent you just _didn't _notice and now that Hide was functioning with ghoul senses, he could tell when he was around as well.

Saying the words pleased him. After all, it was true, there _were _people waiting for him to return and that fact made him happy.

He entered the living room, sitting down at a dark wood table reserved for meetings; Here they would exchange information, talk about plans of action upon return and anything they felt was pertinent to the overall scope of their plan; He organized the mess of documents on the table and smiled when he heard the two rousing from sleep.

Two sets of footsteps came down, the sounds of light bantering evident; the two reminded him of a little brother and his over bearing sister. She liked to tease him, and Hide, who wasn't confrontational in the least, took the bait every time.

They naturally repelled each other and yet neither one took it seriously. He was glad for this; Hide liking Rize or Rize liking Hide would only spell trouble for him; the same was true if they seriously disliked each other.

"Yo, Kaneki." Hide said; flopping into the chair next to him.

"Yo." Kaneki responded, relishing in the gaping stare Rize gave him and the wide grin splayed out on his friend's face.

"You look happy, Ken-kun." Rize said lightly, leaning in close to his face; He turned slightly. "Is there something on my face?" He said, the closeness of her turning him pink. In the next moment she was sitting across from him, looking pleased. "No, nothing at all."

"How are the kids?" Hide asked

"Their doing great; thanks for helping me pick out the paint...and for helping me grade their homework." Kaneki said; he regretted he couldn't see their little prints.

Hide smiled "No problem; I'm glad you're doing something you like...and you don't look half bad in a pink apron." He joked; but the joy for his friend was genuine, after all, He liked _happy _Kaneki the best.

Kaneki laughed "The kids kept asking me to wear it."

Each brought with them a folder; and in that folder held information they had gathered and their thoughts on certain things. A long silence always signaled the meeting to start.

"Now..." Kaneki said, "Lets begin."

* * *

When it came to these _meetings _Kaneki was all business, Hide thought, there was seriousness to his tone, he took every consideration as plausible and he had an air of command that he hadn't seen before; his _training _was paying off. These meetings were standard protocols within IRF units and Kaneki had started them so they could get used to the change of pace and have a framework already in place.

"Intel." Kaneki turned towards him "Your report for the week?"

"Ah, right..." Whenever the meetings began they were addressed by their post within the unit.

"I'm currently in the second module of my training as Intel; because of that I was able to see the database that houses ghoul criminal organizations and their members by country." He began "Your directive for this week as Vanguard was for me to install a backdoor in the system and link it to my computer...that directive was completed successfully."

Kaneki nodded in approval "I know that wasn't easy, and it would have been okay if you couldn't do it but I'm glad you were successful; We cannot afford to wait for promotions in order to access the data."  
"What are the chances of us being found out?"

"The chances are high but the risk of them tracing it to us is low; I covered my tracks well; At most they close the door and I open another one...its such a vast system handling cyber attacks daily that my little hack won't be seen for ages." Hide finished

"Anything else?" Kaneki asked

"I was able to do some research on the 'clowns' you were talking about; I'm starting to gather member names but its tough; The IRF is watching them _very _closely and is guarding a lot of the info tightly..."

Rize frowned, the subject clearly unwelcome. "I already know one of them; his name would be Souta, correct?"

Hide nodded "He is also a member of something called the 'ghoul restaurant'...apparently it was in the 7th ward; ever heard of it?"

Rize and Kaneki exchanged a look. "A really tasteless place." Rize replied lightly "A gourmet named Tsukiyama Shuu invited me to join their little club; Of course I blew him off...foolish ghoul that he was." She snapped

Kaneki chuckled nervously "Actually, Rize-san, Tsukiyama is pretty helpful, at times."

Rize looked incredulously "And how would you know that? Don't tell me he approached you!?"

"Ah..." Kaneki started "He's kind of...on our team."

Rize stood up abruptly, hands flat on the table. "How-?!"

"He found me...and we hung out..." Kaneki began "...Then he took me to the ghoul restauraunt..."

"That sly bastard, couldn't leave me alone even when he thought I was dead?..." Rize barked, already knowing the implications of the ghoul's actions.

"Wh-what happened?"

The two look at Hide who is rapt with attention.

"Kaneki." His tone makes it evident, he wants to know more.

He had resisted every urge to ask his friend all that had happened to him. He didn't want to pressure him and thought that he would tell him in due time; but here right out in the open a subject about what he'd been through was on the table; He couldn't missed this chance.

"Did you... _eat_ there?" Hide prompted, getting Kaneki's attention.

He didn't respond at first; He didn't want to talk about such things in front of Hide. "Its nothing..."He started

"Were you hurt there?" Hide bulled ahead; he wouldn't be brushed off.

Rize watched the tense scene unfold and shook her head. "Don't spoil him, Kaneki, things will only get harder for him if you do." She said seriously, then, with a mischievous smile. "Listen up snack-chan...The ghoul restaurant is where humans get thrown into a pit and ripped to pieces by someone called a 'scrapper'..."

"Rize-san!" Kaneki barked; this was not for Hide to hear.

"...then the human is cooked up and eaten by an audience of ghouls; in fine clothing, I might add."

"Thats enough, I don't want Hide to hear this." Kaneki demanded, but his attention was already on the eyes boring into him.

"And you were taken to this place to be eaten?" The question shouldn't have upset him, but it did.

"Yes." Kaneki confessed, unhappy. He didn't want to involve him in the world of ghouls, of fighting, of anything.

Like Touka, he would have loved for Hide to be working on assignments, going on dates and spending time hanging out; but Hide had sealed his fate the moment he rescued his dying corpse in that place...and though he didn't want to admit it, he needed Hide; He just hoped not to taint him.

"I wouldn't have escaped if Tsukiyama hadn't intervened." He decided to continue.

"You must have been pretty appetizing." Rize said flippantly "Why did he decide to help you?"

Kaneki sighed "To try and eat me by himself, of course... but..."

"But...?" Hide prompted

"He was pretty distraught when I went left him and he's stood by me all this time." Kaneki finished; maybe he would be a little warmer to the ghoul when he returned.

The conversation ended there and back to the issue at hand.

"I saw a clown above us before the beams fell." Kaneki said "If you can describe his mask then I can tell you whether he was the one or not."

The description Hide gave sent shivers up his spine; "Thats him." Kaneki said "Thats the mask I saw...and I'm sure members don't just swap the masks their given."

"Souta, huh." Rize said thoughtfully "I wish could remember seeing his filthy face."

"I don't think its a coincidence that the IRF is profiling and searching for each member, that one responsible wore a clown mask and that it seems like, from day one, something's been working behind the scenes." Hide said "Think about it, Kaneki, is there anyone you've met, anything you remember that seems off? About anyone?"

"So you think there were clowns right under his nose?" Rize said, adding, "Its not impossible, our dear Kaneki is too trusting." Rize chirped, sliding a slender hand down his face.

Kaneki smiled amiably "Not so much, anymore."

"Aside from Tsukiyama, who isn't a clown, I'm positive about that; there was Itori-san..."

"Itori-san, does she own a bar?" Rize asked

"Yeah...Helter Skelter, its called." Kaneki replied

"...I'm surprised you made it out alive then." She said seriously "She's been known to play both sides of the fence and isn't loyal to anyone; She tried to give me the welcome wagon but I heard stories; people that follow her 'advice' are often led to their death."

Kaneki looked thoughtful "Touka-chan advised me to stay away from Tsukiyama, but Itori-san said if I found out what went on in the 'restauraunt'...she'd tell me more about..." Kaneki stopped; every conversation flashed before his mind's eye, every comment, every dread in the pit of his gut.

"...but Yomo-san went with me...he let me speak to them..." Kaneki said aloud, more to himself than his companions.

"Did you ever think...that maybe Yomo-san went with you to _protect _you from them?" Hide said

"I wouldn't be surprised if that woman was a clown; it suits her nature...she hangs around some interesting ghouls." Rize said

"She knew Nico." Kaneki said, trying to make sense of the puzzle coming together in his mind.

"Nico...The gay one?" Rize barked; when she received a placid nod she exploded "How dense are you?! That man, woman...whatever, is the worst person you could hang around!"

"How do you know them then, Rize-san?" Kaneki questioned

She sighed "I may be careless in my fun with humans, but when it comes to ghouls I scope out the threats. In my travels, I don't remember the ward, There was a string of gruesome murders involving human males.

They were raped, tortured, castrated and consumed almost entirely; Their spines would be bleached white and protruding from where their..._you know_...should have been; I witnessed one of these murders in passing. After snooping around I found that the ghoul's name was Nico...I'm pretty sure its the same one."

"And you didn't stop him?" Kaneki asked

Rize laughed "Why would I do that? I just had to make sure 'The Binge Eater' didn't get the wrap for it...I tipped the doves off about it, you know; If he knew he'd tried to kill me." She finished, dark amusement lighting her eyes.

Kaneki recalled the ghoul describing his sense of 'beauty' and grimaced. "So you think they could be working together and are both clowns?" Kaneki asked

"Sure sounds like it; did they act close?" Hide asked in reply

Kaneki nodded "They did, they had a history."

"You mentioned 'they' before, when Yomo-san took you to the bar; was there someone else besides Itori there?" Hide asked

"Yeah...Uta-san was there."

"Uta?" The two said in unison; apparently they hadn't heard of him.

"He runs an art studio in the 4th ward...He makes masks." Kaneki said "I don't think he'd be involved; he's never done anything except give me advice and him and Yomo-san were friends." Kaneki said

"Masks..."Hide said thoughtfully and then his expression went cold. "Like that _mask_ you had before?!"

And then Kaneki remembered; He had escaped to the sewers, he was at the brink of death; From the shadows, Hide appeared...

"You, really were there, weren't you?" Kaneki asked

Hide blinked "Oh, that? Yeah, it was me...you really scared me back there, I thought you were dying."

That should have been the last thing Hide was afraid of, Kaneki thought, but he didn't run from him.

_I already knew man! _The words he needed to hear.

_Lets just go home..._ The words that brought him back.

_I'm sorry, can you fight with all you've got just one more time?_

The request that gave him the will to stand.

Kaneki recalled it all in striking detail.

"Hide...Thank you, for that..."

Hide grinned "You would do the same for me."

"...but Hide, why were you in a place like that? A battle was taking place; the CCG, Anteiku and even members of Aogiri Tree showed up, why...?"

Hide looked sheepish "Its kind of a long story, I'll explain it later, okay?"

Kaneki could tell he wanted to talk in private and let the matter rest.

"...about that mask though..." Hide began "I have something to show you."

Hide disappeared upstairs, returning with a velvet box. "I had it vacuum sealed so its safe now." He said, opening the box. Kaneki reached his hands out and felt between the plastic covering. "This is..."

"Yeah, the mask you were wearing." Hide said

"Its hideous." Rize said, grimacing. "You wore that thing, why?"

Kaneki shook his head "Everyone suggested I have one to avoid being detected by doves...but..."

_This mask, you won't need it anymore... _Hide's words rang true; He let it slide from his hands and back into the case. "I don't need it anymore."

"What do you mean by it being safe now that its sealed?" Rize asked

"I took the mask from Kaneki and noticed something on the inside of it...there's some kind of glitter lining the inside of it." He said

"Glitter?" Kaneki questioned

Hide shook his head "Not glitter, its silver and...well it looks like powder too...Anyway..." he said, bringing a piece of paper from his folder "I gave it to the IRF's research lab and they ran tests on the substance...its a poison, Kaneki."

"What?" Kaneki said

"Its a combination of a lot of different metals that are bad, very bad for ghouls..." Hide continued "These were micro particles so the effect was slow but it has the same effect as mercury poisoning...It targets the brain and deteriorates cognitive awareness...this, dust, whatever it is, was designed to slowly drive you mad and ultimately kill you..." Hide said seriously

The three sat in silence for a while before Rize spoke. "And this Uta, has been nothing but nice to you, huh."

Kaneki sighed

"I guess not."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

* * *

"Kaneki...?"

"Yes, Hide?"

"Is Yamori...dead...?"

The words in themselves were simple, the ashen face they came from, doused in a feverish sweat, wasn't.

A nervous thump assaulted his ears, a heart threatening to beat out of the chest; The aroma of fear and upset, permeated the air. Had the scent been caught by any other ghoul, it would have spelled death for the owner, Kaneki thought.

His shift at the IRF began at night and he was headed for the door, when the scent caught his attention. Hide was wandering; he should have been sleeping and yet he was in the living room, still and listless, clearly upset about something and searching for his presence around the house.

The name had caught him off guard at first; it was hushed in his friend's mouth, a haunted whisper in the dark. He approached him casually and stopped; the sliver of light revealing a sight, that to his senses, was upsetting.

Hide was rubbing his arm; the arm that _he_ had given him.

He rubbed at it furiously, like it hurt, like it burned, and his fingers were arched and tensed.

"Hide, whats wrong." Kaneki demanded, moving to his side in a moment and guiding him to the couch.

Hide rushed him, laying his head on top of the surprised chest, gripping the ghoul's shirt. "Hide?" Kaneki called, extremely worried at the tremors, running through the boy's body.

"Please...Kaneki."

The words were said with tears.

"Until...the screaming stops..."

Kaneki sighed, of course this would happen, he thought; to think that only his strength would pass to Hide was too much to hope for.

Hide was experiencing it, the ghost sensations of a tortured limb and by extension, the memories of its frightening ordeal. The aberrations weren't limited to the mind, it seemed. He sat up from his lying position, Hide still clinging tightly, and wrapped his arms around him.

"Its okay, Hide...I'm right here and I'm alright now." Kaneki said

"He tortured you..." Hide whispered "So badly-_"_

"He can't hurt anyone now, I took care of him." Kaneki said firmly; willing his own mind not to repeat the aberrations.

"I could have stopped it!" Hide exclaimed, emotions threatening to choke him.

"How?" Kaneki questioned; not really expecting to get an answer

"I saw him!" Hide continued, surprising him "He looked suspicious, and he had done some pretty nasty things, so I bugged him."

Kaneki paused "You what?" He exclaimed; Clearly there was nothing he could do about it now, but the fact that the same person that subjected him to a living hell, was several feet, even inches away from someone so important to him, sent him on edge. "Why would you-!

"He was heading to Anteiku..." Hide interrupted, reciting from vivid memories playing in his mind.

"He was heading there and I thought I'd send his location then; but I waited, I thought he wouldn't do anything since there were so many people around..." He said

"What are you trying to say?"

"I'm saying its my fault!" Hide yelled, jerking him around now.

"If I had given it to them sooner...you wouldn't have had to suffer...!"

A strangled sob escaped him "I'm an idiot, Kaneki." He said, fists clenched tightly

"So you had a hunch about Yamori before he even acted, you really are a detective, Hide..." Kaneki said calmly "...but there's no way the CCG would have come in time, and even if they had, only another ghoul could take down that monster, trust me."

The words were lost as Hide pressed his hands tightly to his ears, trying to shut out voices Kaneki knew well, the gnawing voices that only stopped when they broke you. "Everything that happened is my fault..."

"I wanted to go to Anteiku and I should have never dragged you along; I should have never encouraged you to talk to Kamishiro. If I had stopped you, invited you to my job like my gut told me to...None of this would have happened...!"

Hide rose abruptly, flinging the glass table before them into the wall; the shatter pierced the air with a shrill cry; matching the ferocity in the boy's tense form.

"HIDE!" Kaneki yelled, grasping his friend firmly. Right now, there were but a few things holding him together; Rize-san, the IRF, the Centipede and most importantly, Hide. He was a vital pillar to his sense of self and if he fell, it_ would _weaken him. This was difficult; if he had been feeling bad, Hide would come to him with a bright smile, an easy tone, and soothe him as only he could.

But he had no bright smile, no easy tone to soothe; laughter wasn't in his eyes.

Hide went quiet, eyes shut tight against a torrent of emotion; his hand was bleeding now, as nails dug angrily into his flesh. More than feeling guilt, he was overwhelmed with anger, anger at himself, anger at the ghoul who now had a name to his face...

"Listen to me and calm down..." Kaneki said

"We can't change the past; Even _if_ you cry about it." He said, holding the hand gently. "Scream, go crazy, lose your mind if you want...but what happened to me won't change, Hide."

"So you invited me to Anteiku, but **I **decided to go; So you encouraged me to meet with Rize,** I **followed through with it; And I'm telling you the truth, it would have taken more than a dove or two to stop Yamori from capturing me that day..." He finished

Hide remained silent, staring at the floor, he didn't want to hear that, he knew it was true but it was still frustrating. "I wish I could have protected you, Kaneki; Its silly, but I feel responsible for you, like I'm supposed to be there when you need me, you know?"

Kaneki smiled "...I feel that way all the time now." He said "I want to protect those I care about, I want them to be safe; I'm always thinking like that. I became this way, because I decided I wouldn't let anyone go...that includes you, Hide."

"The real people responsible, will pay...but your not one of them." He added, embracing him.

Hide sniffled, eyes puffy and red; Kaneki laughed softly.

"Whats so funny?" He questioned, not seeing how any laughter could be found in the moment.

"Nothing, its just...were you always such a cry baby?"

Blood rushed to the flushed face and he bit his lip. "Whose a cry baby?" He snapped, pushing him roughly "Well sorry for caring!" He barked "Its your own fault, Kaneki...always acting like a kitten-in-need..." He mumbled

"A what-?

"You know, your walking down the street and its sitting all alone in the rain in a box...abandoned; you can't just leave it alone, right? Its got big eyes and its meowing and everything..." Hide continued "So you take it home and give it milk, then you tell yourself its just for a little while but you end up keeping it..."

Kaneki turned his head to the side. "When did I ever meow?" He said in mock severity "... and I was never alone in a box on the street Hide."

The honey blonde shook his head furiously "I know that! But its the same! You have to, you want to protect it, you know? and buy it toys and make sure its always happy..."He stopped when the look on his friend's face showed he wasn't getting it.

"Ah, forget it...!" He snapped, shoving his hands in his pockets.

Kaneki jostled his shoulder affectionately "Don't get frustrated." He said "Your trying to say that you care about me, right?"

Hide looked at him, knocking him lightly on the head. "If you knew that, why didn't you say something?"

Kaneki shrugged "Maybe I like to hear you ramble; flustered Hide is funny."

"You little..!"

Before a round of rough housing began, the light flickered on above them.

"What are you two doing in the dark?"

Hide quickly wiped his eyes, inhaling the remnants of his emotional outburst in one sniff. Kaneki laughed. "N-nothing! Training!" Hide barked

Rize looked at Kaneki who shrugged, After all, she was a ghoul, of course she heard what had happened.

"Hide and I were just stepping out." Kaneki said

"We are? I mean, We are." Hide said, standing a little taller

Rize smirked, her eyes glittering playfully "I wonder, now that its starting, if you'll be snow white too?"

Hide paused at the cryptic statement.

He turned to Hide who was now deep in thought at the woman's comment.

"Ouch." Hide held his head as Kaneki wrapped lightly on it "That hurt, Kaneki." He said, frowning.

"Don't take what she says seriously, she's a fox...she gets a kick out of being that way." Kaneki said, then, taking his hand. "I wasn't kidding when I said we're stepping out...you could use a change of pace."

"Wait, where are we going?" Hide asked, completely unprepared as they strode into moonlight.

* * *

Lights from the city glittered below, a sea of stars shimmering in the dark.

A summer breeze caught the honey blonde's locks in an upward motion, an excited gaze taking in the sights below. "This is cool! You didn't tell me you could fly!" Hide yelled over the rush of wind surrounding them.

Kaneki held Hide as he soared through the air with the ukaku Suisei; short bursts of lightening arched across the sky as he changed altitudes, moving towards their destination.

The reflective building of the IRF soon came into view; he lowered them to the roof of the tall structure, the place alive with ghouls and humans engaged in conversation.

His responsibilities as an agent were growing and he was included in a number of cases the Regulators were responsible for; He was also called to lead new recruits on missions and combat practice; it was an invaluable tool for him.

The two landed on the ground lightly, Kaneki moving forward without pause through the small groups littered about.

From the moment he landed, there was a noticeable change, Hide thought.

His posture was straighter and his gait was calm and sure; how long had Kaneki been working? A month? A year? The person before him stood as a veteran among the many uniformed persons also in leading positions. He walked up to one of the groups and decided to talk.

"So, what's going on here tonight?" Hide asked a girl; he wasn't very good at deciphering 'scent' yet, but he could tell she didn't smell exactly 'human'.

She eyed him curiously, her nose twitching at the unusual scent "Tonight we're doing an execution run and a bust on some ghoul's working underground." The female replied

"Underground huh...which part?" He probed

"I'm not sure, our lead agent said it was _Domino's_ turf...I'm not sure who that is though." she continued

He moved easily through the groups, moving towards the sound of the familiar voice.

"It looks like we'll be spending another night together." Kaneki said to the group; Six faces regarded him with familiarity. Hide took note of each of them and made his mental assessments; photographing them in his memory for future archiving and inspecting.

"Ah, we got stuck with Neki-sensei again." One of the six said, a human boy with burnt copper hair; eyes an intense hazel.

Kaneki frowned "This isn't the children's ward, Kamui-kun, only your little brother can call me that."

Kamui shrugged "Its better than that other name; what was it again, Centipede? Sounds creepy."

Kaneki sighed "You don't have to call me that either, Where are you learning these names? Its Kaneki, Kaneki-san is just fine." He snapped

"I think Kane-san is cooler." A female ghoul chimed in, she batted violet eyes at him, swirling brunette locks between her fingers. "Right, Kane-san?" She said, blowing a kiss.

"Mamiya-kun..." Kaneki chided

"Why don't you show us what's behind that blind fold your wearing-Baka-neki!" Jeered a male ghoul, narrow green eyes contrasting a mess of auburn spikes.

The group got quiet at the insult, turning nervous eyes towards their supposed leader; Kaneki smiled amiably.

"...because, Rihito-kun..." He began "I'd have to kill you then." He finished brightly

Rihito laughed, until he felt the presence of something by his head; turning his eyes slowly he blanched at the fiery muscle, poised and sharp at his temple; He screamed. "I told you! He's insane! He's gonna kill me! Look!" The ghoul's cries fell on deaf ears as the company of five laughed and the surrounding members exchanged snickers.

"Thats what you get for being a dick!" A human girl with raven hair mocked; the silk tresses hung in a long braid below her back, dark blue eyes sparkling triumphantly.

"Shut up Fuyu! I'll eat you!" Rihito spat

"You disgrace ghouls everywhere making threats like that." A new male voice said; it belonged to a ghoul with slicked back hair the color of wheat and intense grey eyes.

"Blehh..." Rihito mocked, sticking out his tongue "If it isn't the Yakuza prince, gonna call the boys on me Seiji?"

A pale human girl, with snow white hair, pouted her cherry red lips; her hazelnut eyes sparkled. "Can't you be nice for one day, Ri-chan?" She said, eliciting a deep flush from the ghoul. "Y-you stay out of this, Hikaru." He stammered, losing much of the pomp and steam he had before.

The group laughed at the ghoul's reaction, causing him to flush deeper under the doe eyed gaze of the human girl.

"Hey..."

The group is interrupted by a new male voice; Hide's.

He walks up to the ghoul casually, standing face to face at eye level.

"Got a problem, human?" Rihito snarled, his kakugan now proudly on display.

The honey blonde remained passive and raised his hand, curling his index and thumb into a spring loaded 'O'; in a shocking moment he releases the 'O' flicking the ghoul's nose upward, sending him up off the ground and crashing back down.

He hadn't intended to do it that hard, but there was no turning back now and it was certainly better than if he were to use his human hand.

Staring incredulously at the '_human' _that just exerted enough force to knock him down, he sat staring for a time. Also very aware of the violent aura emanating from his Leader watching in the background, it said: I_f you retaliate, you'll pay._

"Stop giving him a hard time, this isn't preschool." Hide said firmly, standing before his friend protectively.

"Who are you?" The human named Kamui asked, sizing up the guy.

"I'm second in command." Hide answered evenly, then smirking "I keep this guy in check." He finished, pointing towards Kaneki who had noticeably relaxed.

"This is Hideyoshi Nagachika, he is the Intel of my unit; please treat him kindly." Kaneki said, then turning to Rihito "Thats enough, Rihito-kun, unless you want me to put you behind a desk for three weeks."

The ghoul named Rihito scrunched his face up at the ultimatum, brushing his pants off as he stood. "Hai, hai...Looks like I'm out numbered...No need to threaten me with paper pushing." Then grinning, said "Your orders, K-san?"

Though each of the six stood out distinctly from each other in look and attire, Hide noticed a thick metal band wrapped around each of their upper arms; it bore the IRF's iconic symbol, a vertical black bar, bisected by three others horizontally.

He moved closer to Kaneki, inspecting the cuff, plucking the solid metal and hearing a loud ring.

"What's this, Kaneki?" He asked "Do I get one?"

Kaneki rubbed his finger on the side of small ridges in the underside and the device snapped open; he handed it to Hide to inspect further as he explained its function.

"Actually, our group is the first to implement these; they will take the place of uniforms soon. It doesn't have a name yet but its like a badge; It lets others know who we are and has a feature that allows us to spot other IRF members of our rank; it also allows for communication...Plus, if you have the Rc skin, then it acts as a release mechanism for different abilities."

Hide ran his hand across the dark symbol, noticing the series of minute numbers running across it. "Each of these numbers corresponds to a function?"

Kaneki nodded

"I noticed you did something with your fingers...is it opened and closed with your finger print?" Hide asked

"Yes, each band is unique and that keeps others from swapping; You're also tracked this way. A main station can make it so you can't remove it if necessary." He added "I put in an order for yours, but the others of our unit will have to wait since they aren't here to give DNA samples."

Hide returned the device and Kaneki secured it to his arm, then motioned for the group to occupy a far corner of the large roof. Many groups had already departed and they were one of the few that were left.

Sitting now in a circle, Kaneki brought out a small tablet and slid his hands across the surface, taking a moment to process the information and then addressing everyone.

"Today is an execution run and we've been assigned to Underground Sector's 12 and 14. There is something brewing down there and it is believed to be responsible for the massive disappearances over the last few weeks." He began

Hide leaned over him, looking at the display: "It seems strange, getting caught in these sectors so clearly and after all this time."

Kaneki turned towards him "What do you make of it, Hide?"

"I don't know, I just think its _too_ careless...and that maybe we should keep our eyes open." Hide finished "I'd like to check out the sectors that seem to have the least to do with the disappearances, it just feels too calm, ya know?"

Kaneki had learned long ago that Hide's powers of observation were phenomenal; he was the Ace of their Intel and so he would put that ability to the test.

"Intel says that this mission is suspect...so we'll take a detour instead." Kaneki said, standing up.

"...But those were HQ orders! Search and destroy, only in those sectors!" Seiji protested

Kaneki sighed "Orders?...I'm sorry, Seiji-kun, but I've said this before, the IRF is just an end to my means; I don't owe them anything."

The group grew quiet.

"In any case, lets have some fun! This is practice, right? Who cares if we don't just go to those sectors." Hide chimed in, releasing the tension "So...what are your orders, Kaneki-bancho!"

Kaneki blanched at the ending "Hide..." Then, turning to the group, "Pair up...Seiji and Kamui will take route 1, Rihito and Hikaru take route 5, Mamiya and Fuyu will take route 3 and Hide and I will take 4...

...Your new orders are to investigate; The inhabitants living underground are not all dangerous, people still live peaceful lives there so use force only if necessary.

Kill anyone that falls under the IRF guidelines of 'guilty' and if you uncover something big, do not take it on alone, call for back-up...Take route 2 to meet at the regroup location."

The six stood, each pair moving towards a different direction on the roof, standing on the edge to overlook the city.

Kaneki moved towards a direction of his own with Hide behind him; turning to the others who waited for him..."I want you all back here alive." He said "Don't make me come after you...or its desk duty for a month."

"Sir!"

The three pairs leaped from the tall building, weaving like shadows throughout the city and to their respective destinations. Kaneki heard them go, his stomach always churning at the prospect of leaving them alone; he had grown to like them and felt responsible...which was never a good thing for him since he'd do anything to protect them now.

"They'll be fine." Hide reassured, turning towards the night wind blowing west.

Taking his friend's hand, he released the wings of his ukaku...

"Alright...lets get to work."


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 **

* * *

In the heart of the 20th ward, at the CCG's branch building, Special Class Investigator Marude Itsuki, contended with the news that was turning his otherwise pleasant morning, into an unpleasant nightmare.

"What do you mean the IRF is establishing a unit?!" He exclaimed, the outburst raising the veins in his neck. "How?!"

The intern shrunk at the explosive tone, cringing under the weight of the man's stare.

"Who told you this!" He barked "Where did you get these!"

"I-!

"Nevermind! Bring me someone with a voice!"

The intern bowed quickly, dashing out of the man's sight.

Alone, he flopped into his chair, snatching up the documents littering his desk.

He scanned the parchment bearing the official letter head and seal, the contents containing signatures of all the proper authorities, the permits, the local consent; it was unbelievable. The documents flew into the air with a flick of his wrist. Watching the dreaded sheets float to the floor, fading from view, he wished the situation would follow suit.

Calm foot steps entered the room.

"Marude-san, What happened?"

The words refueled the fire burning in the man's mind. "They've done it!" He screeched "Those rats finally made their way in!" ...He took a deep breath; becoming aware of himself. He was a veteran, who had faced many shocking developments in his long career. He couldn't lose his composure over this, even if compared to the events of the last few months, this one was unexpected and completely unprecedented.

"Sir?"

Strolling to the front of his desk he raised the papers from their prone position and scrutinized them. "The Inter-species Regulation Force, has somehow received approval to establish a unit in one of my wards."

"How is that possible? We've kept them from receiving public consent for years." The man said

Marude shook his head "Somehow they made contact...they're organized and very efficient; I can't see a single flaw in here."

"What happens now?"

Marude returned to his seat, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I'll have to tell the higher ups; I'm dreading it though."

"Still..." He continued "I'm interested in the people who signed up for this, if I can find even one thing on them related to ghouls, or better yet a ghoul with a record..."

"Would you like me to help you with that?" The man asked

"No; I _do_ want you to find out who gave the intern those documents. Check our surveillance, any reported visitors or deliveries in the log; check the private mail carrier...let me know anything; even if it looks just a little suspicious or too normal...Oh, and bring Juuzou in here." He said

The special class investigator turned in his seat, staring out at the city displayed clearly in the bay window.

They had made great strides over the several month period, cleaning up the area and restoring the damages done to the 20th ward. Being asked to change positions so quickly was something he never got used to. The 11th ward was enough, and then the call was extended to him to look over the 20th also. Ghoul activity continued at a sporadic pace but he couldn't help but think something greater was brewing in the shadows, something that would leave them all completely unprepared.

It was this hunch that prompted Tsuneyoshi Washuu to create the 20th ward's Special Countermeasures Unit and to put him over it. Sure the raids had dealt a mighty blow to the morale of rebellious ghouls, but the trust of the people had waned greatly.

In retaliation to the raids on one of Aogiri Tree's hideouts and Anteiku, murders on the order of a few hundred occurred all over Tokyo. _Crimson Tide_, it came to be known, the blood bath still made him nauseous and they were still arresting the culprits and searching for others.

As CCG investigators, they fought for the safety of the people, but that day the people started to doubt...and while distrust amongst the populace grew...The IRF could sweep in like knight's in shining armor; He'd do everything he could to prevent that.

Raucous knocking startled Marude from his thoughts, he turned around in his seat, expression displeased at the pale face grinning back at him.

"Tsun-tsun said you called me?" Juuzou Suzuya said brightly

"Respect your superiors." Marude snapped, stabbing an accusatory finger at the boy "His name is Tsuna Fuuka; Fuuka-san to you, He's a first class investigator from Kyoto, even Arima-kun regards his skill."

Disinterest graced the child-like face "Haaiii..." He said half heartedly "Well, what do you want?" He questioned

Marude frowned, it was a pain working with such a stubborn child, getting him to come when called was an accomplishment in itself.

He wouldn't submit to therapy and went head first into fights just days after the raid. He refused to work under anyone else and insisted on having a partner to oversee. He had an indecipherable system for why and who he respected, superior or not, and disappeared whenever he pleased.

Were it not for Shinohara's sake and the fact that the boy _was_ frighteningly efficient, he'd certainly send him to some distant branch, doomed to answer phones for the rest of his life and suffocate under the weight of compensation forms.

"You look scary, Marude-chan."

The man's face turned red "You address me as Marude-san! better yet, Special Class Itsuki-sama, You little brat! have a seat!" The man barked in response.

Suzuya sighed; He was going to get lectured again. If the familiar act didn't remind him of someone special, he'd surely leap from the window and get into something more exciting. He busied himself with a new stitching on his arm. Shinohara-san said he liked sunflowers, so he would wear sunflowers now, and then, when he woke up, they'd-

"Are you listening to me!"

He yawned distractedly "You were saying something about giving me a partner, right?"

Marude snorted "Not on your life! I'm giving you the benefit of the doubt here." He started "_If _you want a partner you'll have to start acting like a part of this organization. No taking cases from other investigators because you think yours is boring, no barreling into fights with ghouls because its exciting, dress properly and work like everyone else!" He chided

"Ehh? I'll end up just like you then." Suzuya whined, pulling at the bright yellow woven in his arm.

Marude sighed "Whats wrong with that?... in fact...you'll be a lot like your beloved Shinohara-san."

He examined the burgeoning flower on his arm..."Shinohara-san isn't boring... he says interesting things sometimes and he's nice." Suzuya replied softly

"Well your definitely interesting, I'll give you that, but nice? Hah...!" Marude scoffed

Suzuya frowned, puffing his cheeks at the special class investigator laughing in his face "You can't even dress properly, and yet...Ahahaha!" The man continued

Suzuya stood, abruptly, slamming his hands on the table "Its not whats on the outside...!" He protested, stunning the man into momentary silence. "Its..." He continued, looking down at his arm, a soft pink dusting over his cheeks "...what's on the inside, that counts...Shinohara-san said so."

So he _was _trying, Marude thought.

Progress was slow, but he had been right in pairing those two up, it had done the boy some good after all.

"Nicely put, Suzuya-kun, but its not enough to know that, you have t-

Documents lining the desk are caught up in one motion, the owner pirouetting out of reach and flopping into a chair.

"Those are classified documents!" Marude barked

"The Inter...species...Regulation...Force?" Suzuya read, un-shielding his face from the paper to look at the man who might have the answers.

"Now your interested...brat." Marude snapped, snatching the papers from the boy. "Since this is your assigned ward, I thought I'd share this with you. I need you to keep what I tell you a secret...Can you do that?"

Suzuya frowned "Of course, I'm not five."

"...In this world there are only two main forces to combat ghouls; the Commission of Counter Ghoul and..." He left it open to answer.

"This group." Suzuya chirped, pointing to the seal on the letter head.

"Yes, the Inter-species Regulation Force."

"Why don't you work together?" Suzuya asked, spinning slowly in his chair.

Marude grimaced "Because...their main objective is to create a peaceful coexistence with ghouls; Ours is to eradicate them into obscurity or inexistence. They are a predator that threatens the survival of the human race and by investigating problem cases and destroying them one by one we hope to tip the scales back into our favor. There should only be one sentient apex predator in this world...and that's us."

"Ghouls and humans work side by side in their organization; even its top officials aren't human, its inconceivable!" Marude snapped, slamming his fist down.

"Heehh...and they're coming here?" Suzuya asked; muscles twitching at the prospect of strong and unusual opponents.

Marude sighed "Yes...they're coming here to establish a unit...and you can guess where."

"Here!" Suzuya cheered, leaping from his seat excitedly. "Its settled!"

Marude stood "Where are you going?!"

Suzuya spun on his heel, turning a sideways glance to the man "What do you mean? I only have to kill them, right?"

Marude shook his head furiously "No! We can't touch them right now, I haven't even alerted the chairman; also, they're not here _yet_...This is a notice of sorts, which means we have time to prepare."

Suzuya pouted "Then why am I here old man? Were you lonely without me?" He cooed, rocking on his heels.

"Shut it! You didn't let me finish." He snapped "I have a special job for you, it requires tact, focus and cunning... You have none of those things." Marude said

Suzuya stared blankly; did he want him to knock his teeth out?

"Which is why you'll be perfect." He continued "If the public consent has a strong say in establishing a unit, then we need to get the people on our side. Your job is to go door to door, getting signatures for the absolute jurisdiction of the CCG. If my memory of IRF protocols is correct, if the people say no, they have to go."

" A doorman!?" Suzuya protested, stamping towards the man "That's boring! I won't do it."

Marude shook his head, grinning at the display "I figured you'd say that, but, if you can do it successfully...I'll let you take part in an _elite_ assignment."

Crimson eyes lit up "Elite assignment?"

Marude nodded "There's only one location the IRF is located in that's close enough to Tokyo; its a top secret place that the public has been kept in the dark about. I have a friend in this place, he used to work here but he defected."

"Ohhh...When do we leave?" The boy asked greedily; eyes sparkling with curiosity and the prospect of new sights.

"As soon as you get me those signatures... I can't go empty handed." Marude replied, a shrug indicating his hands were tied on the issue.

A moment later finds himself face to face with the blonde; Clear glassy orbs dived into his own with purpose. "W-what? you don't want to?" Marude asked, unsure of the boy's intent...after a moment, he distanced himself.

"Nope...You're not lying." Suzuya said, leaping back and holding out his hands. "I'll do it." he continued

Marude sighed, placing the forms into slender hands. "Report back to me _before _you go home, and be presentable, they won't sign if you scare them away."

Suzuya stuffed the parchment into his bag, determined to use everything Shinohara had taught him to get those signatures. He had to do it; if he was going to see this top secret place and possibly enjoy new and exciting battles; it also meant his request for a partner might be accepted.

* * *

The first stop was a crowded apartment complex; After wandering through the shopping district and buying more thread, he decided this was the best place to start.

The first time didn't do so well when he knocked..."Call the cops grandma!" The older man had shouted, waving his cane in an attempt to hit him. He dodged easily and leaped to the next floor, the police would only slow him down. "We don't want any!" "Damn salesman!" A foreign man had shouted at him. "Go away!" A woman snapped; He couldn't understand what had everyone so angry, wasn't visiting someone's house nice?

When his eighth door ended in rejection, he took a break, sitting on the edge of someone's balcony, kicking his feet leisurely over the edge.

He was being polite, he even tried to smile and he used all the words Shinohara-san had taught him; so what was the problem?

While nursing the burgeoning flower on his arm he turned when he caught the scent of something. His days as a scrapper taught him this scent and it was the only one he knew clearly: _Fear_.

Crimson eyes rolled towards the woman holding out pale hands in a gesture of surrender; So she lived here. "Now, I'm not gonna hurt you...lets talk, okay? There's no need to end your life here."

He watched her curiously, what was she talking about?

He looked below him, at his dangling legs and precarious position on the arm of the balcony.

He supposed a fall from this height _would _kill him...but that was only if he didn't use the surrounding geology to his advantage; and since he could, there was no worry.

Amused, he shuffled closer to the edge, grinning immensely when the woman dropped to her knees with a shriek, now genuinely upset, tears brimming soft brown eyes. "W-wait." She pleaded.

Making women cry wasn't good; After all, _mama _was a girl, Suzuya thought. Shinohara had told him it was a man's job to be a gentleman to them, since they were _delicate_. He sighed, looking over the frazzled human as she penetrated him with a gaze that said she'd do anything to get him to come down...And then it occurred to him.

"Hey...I won't jump, if you sign this form." He said brightly, handing the woman a form from the stack in his bag.

She looked at it, perplexed and then back up at him "You are...?"

He raised one foot in the air. "Okay! I'll-I'll fill this out, okay?" She said, running into the house with the form.

Minutes later and his first successful signature had been completed; he realized that faking death was a powerful vehicle; Marude only told him to _get_ signatures, not _how_ he should get them.

So he stalked about the complex with new purpose, devising new ways to end his life and in the heat of the moment, getting them to give in to his demands; it was brilliant.

He stood in the center of the complex courtyard, startling an elderly woman as she tended to a flower bush. "Ah..." He said without inflection "I want. to. end. it. all...its too much." He said in monotone, placing the pistol filled with Q bullets in his mouth.

"Oh!...Oh!" The woman rose slowly, moving towards him. "What-what happened child? Why are you..."

"I'll lose my job if I don't get 100 signatures." He said with some emotion; He had seen humans pretend all the time, it wasn't that difficult. The woman finally made it to him, holding out wrinkled hands to fill out the document "You poor thing..."

"I'll lose my shit if I don't make this quota!"

He was getting better; where had that reaction come from? Maybe he was enjoying himself too much? He laughed to himself as ashen faces regarded him in horror in the enclosed space.

He was in a bar now and the next death plot was suicide bombing. The inhabitants rushed to his side, pulling the sheets precariously woven into the mock bombs strapped to his vest; they didn't bother reading over anything, just checked here and there and signed their names with trembling fingers...Then he had to run, the cops would definitely be on their way now.

"150!" Suzuya cheered, stuffing the documents into his bag. He smiled as he thought of the shock that would be on Marude Itsuki's face. He _would_ have to take him now and since he had kept his _fun_ on a small scale, hopefully his methods didn't make it back to the man.

* * *

Sunset bathed the 20th ward in an orange glow as Suzuya walked the city; he didn't have anywhere to go that interested him and so he wandered. As he passed a bakery, he noticed a man pulling along a young child. The child's face was vacant, certainly not the expected look of someone who had just had sweets.

Eyes glassy and hollow, reminiscent of dissociation and severe mental trauma, stood out on the sunken in face; but to Suzuya...because the boy looked like _mama's _other children, the ones who couldn't become good scrappers and couldn't be used for their flesh; because this boy looked like them, he noticed him alone out of the crowds...and decided to follow.

His silent tail of the two led him to a seedy stretch of shack like storefronts and darkened alleys; an old apartment building was the destination of the two.

Suzuya watched from a distant tree as the man knocked on the door and a dark figure answered. Elevated whispers were exchanged; they were having an argument? In the same moment a dark tendril leaked out of the crack of the door and sliced the suspicious man's neck; the child remained unperturbed as a shower of blood doused his person.

In the next moment the body of the man was ushered inside by the ghoul's kagune, while the child was guided by a hand inside.

The Rank 3 investigator shivered; Who knew what lied beyond that door... but it was something he could hunt, something he could play with, something he could _kill. _With wide crimson eyes he touched the metal prosthetic acting as his limb, the act causing an opening where a solid metal rod protruded; he took the thick rod in a sure grip and leaped from the trees onto the balcony.

Standing now before the door he wondered if he should knock...but then he'd be figured out; should he call for back up first? He shook his head, that was boring, it was Marude-like.

Removing one of the pins in his hair, he crouched low, fiddling with the lock until he heard the distinct 'click'; The door swung open silently and he carefully entered. There were special ways you walked to avoid a ghoul detecting you and from his childhood, he had mastered it.

The place was unkempt and had a ruthless stench; Suzuya knew it as rotting flesh. He walked the place that was without power and peered through the sunset lit apartment. Cards, empty bottles, cigarette buts, condoms, weapons, and kagune secretions decorated the trash hole.

He ignored these in favor of the sound of wind, coming from down one of the halls; the source of the sound came from behind a cracked door, he inhaled and caught the scent of fear strongly.

A stair case appeared to be dug out and extended well below ground, he descended silently.

The descent grew steep, until it ended with three dark tunnels as options, he continued to use the scent as his guide.

The end of the tunnel opened up to a familiar, almost home-like setting. Rusted cages too small for limbs to grow properly, chains wrapped around skinny necks; the smell of iron and infected wounds.

He scanned the hollow faces in cages; they didn't move or acknowledge him...they were just like _mama's_ failures, sometimes he had to kill them too.

To him, failure or not they were his brothers and sisters...they shared the same cage, bled the same blood, fought the same fight, they understood, and so the feeling was the same; These were also his brothers and sisters.

His eyes alighted upon the boy he saw at the bakery and he walked over to him.

Pressing his face against the metal he whispered "Hey, hey get up...I'm here to let you out." He said

This boy was not like the others, he moved against binds that were cutting into thin limbs and looked at him with faint, very faint, defiance.

"Don't be stupid; there's too many." was the raspy whisper.

"Don't call me stupid, stupid; there's no one here I'm scared of, there's just a lot of them." Suzuya replied "I'm gonna let you out and everyone else, but for the ghouls that are here... you can help me scrap them if you want."

The child's eyes shimmered and seemingly fragile limbs pulsed with life. "Scrap..._them_?" he replied

Suzuya nodded, standing up. "Yep.."

The boy looked down at his hands, witnessing them tremble with anticipation; Suzuya could relate. "B-but papa would be angry." The boy said softly.

Suzuya raised the thick rod he had removed earlier and held it up; a large sickle emerged, bearing the moniker '13'. He stood in the center of the room, swinging the scythe 360 degrees silently. The bars snapped in pieces, clattering to the ground, but the sound was faint enough to not draw attention. The now freed captives looked on in bewilderment; none of them moved, neither did they turn to each other. Suzuya sighed, this is why they were known as _broken_, since no matter what you did they just sat there or screamed.

Turning to the boy who now stood shakily in front of him, he handed him a small knife from his pocket. "Use it to cut those chains, then use it to kill ghouls...its called a quinque." Suzuya said

The boy frowned, a ghost of emotion lighting the grey stare. "Its tiny."

Suzuya nodded "Right? I told Shinohara-san the same thing...but..." He continued, straightening up "If you use it to help others...and be 'presentable'...and read lots of books?-_Trying to recall his partner's teachings_..."Then..." He picked up "You'll get a stronger one...they'll even make one for you."

"Shinohara?" The boy repeated

"Yeah...My someone special, more important than mama." He replied

The pounding footsteps of multiple enemies caused a shiver "Here they come." Suzuya said, smiling wildly. Before leaving the chamber to meet his opponents, he looked back "Are you coming?"

"...but papa will..."

"Its okay...he can't be worried if he's dead, right?" Suzuya said lightly

The boy looked down at the object in his hands and back at the tall white blonde holding an intimidating sycthe; he seemed so relaxed, the boy thought, like he could take down any enemy. He gripped the weapon in his hand, succumbing to the urges he'd grown over a short period of time; urges to go wild; urges to lose control; urges to kill ghouls.

The two stormed down the tunnel, barreling towards the oncoming assailants; As the ghouls charged they were met with a sub machine gun, flashes of light leaving bodies piled up and full of holes; Close combatants met with thin but powerful limbs as the investigator targeted pressure points unique to ghouls, incapacitating them and sending them sprawling to the ground. He ran head long into the unending flow; his quinque extending from its mount, spiraling with jagged teeth to leave dismembered pieces.

In between killings, his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Suzuya! Where are you? You were supposed to report back!" Marude Itsuki barked "Wait...what's going on?"

"Ah...I'm kind of busy..."

From the tone and surrounding noise, the special class investigator knew the boy had gotten into another fight. "Whats going on." He demanded

"Well..." The boy started; balancing the phone on his head as he swung his quinque ruthlessly.

"There was a guy with a kid; I followed them to an apartment that's not really an apartment; a ghoul killed the man though. There were tunnels and I followed them...I found some kids, they're broken, except one...he's helping me fight them; then we'll go kill papa so he doesn't worry."

Marude paused for a considerable moment. "So you mean you infiltrated a criminal hideout?! On your own?!" He sputtered, "Where are you?! You need back up you idiot!"

"Ehhh? No way, I'm having fun, you'll ruin it if you bring people." Suzuya whined, in between beheadings.

The man rubbed at his face in frustration. "Listen, there are rumors that the 20th ward has a secret entrance to the 24th ward...if we shut this down and infiltrate it could mean another great step for us... Please, Suzuya-kun, do it for Shinohara at least."

The boy sighed "Just because you say his name doesn't mean I'll listen to you...

"Fine... I've turned on my tracker."

Marude sighed "I'll dispatch a team right away; Don't die in there Juuzou."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

* * *

Frost clung to the night air, dancing with the piercing gaze of glistening shards overhead.

Stiff branches and wandering leaves rustled through the wind, a light tune fluttering through empty alleys; It shielded the travelers hidden in the night, moving sinuously through its organic cadence, an indigo cloak overhead, masking the charged expectation of nightly nomads.

Shadows cast imposing forms against the face of dimly lit streets, the form belonging to dark armored vehicles, blending with the night sounds as they whirred through the winding neighborhood quietly.

Marude Itsuki sat inside the CCG issued vehicle, anticipating a big breakthrough for the night's raid.

It seemed that Juuzou Suzuya and his wayward escapades had brought him some luck after all, the hide-out was in a place you wouldn't really expect, after all, children and families traveled to and from freely through the neighborhood and no one had ever reported any strange happenings in the area; that should have tipped him off from the beginning.

The vehicles slowed to a stop, the action heralding uniformed agents, funneling into a cohesive circle. Clothed in the shadows of the unlit grounds, Marude stood in the center of them now; it didn't matter if they were found out or not, they had the area covered on all sides; no one would escape, not today.

"Units 1 and 2 handle evacuation; Unit 3 will secure the area surrounding immediate escape routes, Unit 4 will be my aerial team, Unit 5 and 6 will infiltrate with myself." He said in hushed tones.

"You're going in too?" Investigator Fuuka inquired

For a raid of this level, with no known S ranked combatants, in a team of two or more units, only one special class would be needed.

Marude was their supervisor, he controlled the sway of battle with his orders, took a total perspective and made the difficult calls from his observation and intel.

His place was not in Units 5 and 6, infiltrating along side of him. "Marude-san, my skill alone would- He stopped, not liking how arrogant he sounded... "What I mean is, I may be from Kyoto's branch, but us country bumpkins can hold our own, so if you're worried...

"Quiet Fuuka." Marude snapped lightly, the man was too polite for his own good.

"That _wild child _is in there and none of you can handle him...and I mean _none_ of you..." Marude interrupted, moving towards the entrance.

The investigator chuckled nervously, embarrassed at his moment of self importance; he should have known Marude Itsuki never broke formation unless it was necessary. "Of course."

Hushed steps ascended concrete stairs, moving as one group to the proper location.

With investigators Marude and Fuuka in the lead, the units approached a ragged door, the entrance being revealed with little more than a push. "A pick pocketing lock picker, that brat." Marude commented, amusement playing on his usually serious face.

The team fanned out into the darkened apartment, various forms of debris creating unusual sounds beneath the cautious steps. The stench startled many, issuing a series of hushed gags through the quiet. "You babies, keep moving! You can hold your breath, can't you?" Marude barked, rounding up the straggling investigators.

A whistle rung through out the apartment, causing the team to go on high alert, it was strange, investigator Fuuka thought...all the windows were sealed shut..."Marude-san." He called, moving the investigator from his examination of scattered photos. "I think the entrance is this way." They followed the whistle to a door that had been carved out nicely in the wall.

The stench of ghoul's blood nearly knocked the investigators back "Now _this_ is something you lose your lunch for." Marude gasped, shielding his nose and mouth with his hand; he knew that the stench could only be caused by one little terror and fortunately it wasn't the ghouls.

The group descended the steep stone stair case, winding further into foul obscurity; hearts pounded heavily as it seemed the darkness wouldn't end and flashlights would be risky; The air was soon replaced with fermenting human sweat, they were burning up.

The investigators breathed a sigh of relief as a faint light soon revealed three large tunnels; Dispersing a unit in each one, the two lead investigators went with a smaller group down another.

The ringing of metal rents the air, the guttural screams of the inhuman beings following it. "Juuzou." Marude said, moving with greater speed.

* * *

A young child stared blankly before a scene that was so familiar and yet so strange to his grey eyes.

There were weapons and blood and yelling; but he wasn't the one doing it, he wasn't at the receiving end either...The man before him was...A man with snow white hair and crimson marbles for eyes...Rabbits...rabbits were like that, lab rabbits_,_...white and fluffy, with eyes the color of strawberries. His hands were moving quickly, he held a powerful scythe...and he was destroying them, so many of them as they charged from one side to the other.

These people, these ghouls that had hurt him...he was watching them fall one by one; but he wished it wasn't so quick, it didn't look like they were even in any pain when death caught them unaware...it was too fast, it _must_ be slower...a slower death...more pain for them..._make them feel MORE pain_, he wished silently.

He looked down at his hands, they were trembling, the Rabbit man had given him a quin-_something_...and he hadn't really used it yet; but he wanted to...he did.

Bodies blurred passed him, crashing to the ground in a mess of limbs. This one was still breathing, he thought...this one, would die slow...

He looked towards the Rabbit man who was now the Red Rabbit man, blood dripping from his white head, and down his white shirt; the Red Rabbit didn't seem to care and pranced around like an acrobat, like a crimson butterfly, dealing death's kiss with extreme precision and unending stamina.

In the throes of shock he missed the group of ghouls that had come funneling from a depression in the ceiling above; he was supposed to be brave but he still screamed.

They were coming, they were coming for _him_, to punish him, to make him feel bad, to make him do bad things; he was scared, _he was scared_...the moments of relishing in the pain of his enemies vanished at the hands grabbing at his fragile limbs, he felt the blows and yelled; he didn't want to die, but he couldn't fight anymore, he was too tired...

He wanted to go home...forget killing, forget slowly dying, he wanted to live!

"Usagi!"

The rank 3 investigator heard a strangled call; he usually blocked out most voices when he was 'playing' since they distracted him, but this voice was interesting to his ears, he forgot why. Bringing his consciousness to the surface he turned his attention from the bloodied corpse to the horde of ghouls toppling a small form and beating it senseless.

Awareness flooded the crimson gaze "Hey...hey thats mine." He murmured, swaying a bit from his killing stupor. "I said..." He warned "That's mine..."

The ghouls continued to ignore him, attempting to bind the child and bring him to 'papa' for 'divine judgement'; the kid was very strong, most likely due to adrenaline and years of 'scrapping' both humans and ghouls.

"I SAID THAT'S MINE!"

The lithe form torpedoed with quinke in hand, through the band of smothering ghouls, scattering their bodies and severing limbs. The boy rose after his binds were cut, severely bruised but largely unharmed. Suzuya inspected closely, causing a jump from the little companion. "How come you're not hurt?" Suzuya asked, intrigued as to how someone so small could have withstood and held off the horde of ghouls and not seriously been injured.

"I...don't know...but papa...had doctors do something...to make me stronger." Came the hoarse response.

About to probe further, the investigator stopped when he caught a familiar scent "Too much cologne..." The investigator mouthed "...and shoe polish..." His hand rose in a bright wave at the forms approaching him in alarm "Juuzou!" Marude Itsuki exclaimed, suddenly stopping at the silent blood bath surrounding him.

Suzuya smiled, he had killed a lot...maybe he would be praised, he did just do the job of two to three units.

"You killed possible leads! Informants! Now how am I supposed to find out what happened!?" Marude barked, ignoring the squelch of blood beneath his feet and the blood painting the boy's body.

The investigator shrunk at the tone, pouting, this is not what he wanted to hear. "You're ungrateful, Marude chan!" He barked "Be thankful for what God gave you!"

He had heard someone say that once, actually twice, it seemed to make certain individuals complacent, thoughtful and quiet, maybe it would work on this man too.

Fuuka and the team gaped at the additional statement "S-S-Suzuya..."The voice trailed off in disbelief. Marude walked up to the man and placed a hand on his forehead "We've lost him!" He screeched, before knocking the young man hard across the head with his knuckle "Ow!" Suzuya grabbed at his head.

"Don't bring God up in this god forsaken place, you fool! What do you know about it?!" Marude hissed

Suzuya pouted; guess it didn't work "It was supposed to make you quiet."

"Ha!" Marude snorted, pushing past him "I'll be quiet when I'm dead and in the ground."

"Hmm..."

"Don't think too much about it, now lets go!" Marude snapped, moving further down the hall. "We need to capture some alive and clean this place out; we also have to find the entrance, if its here."

"Sorry!" Suzuya chirped, a strange new companion next to him. "Who is-?"

"We're gonna kill papa now!" The white blonde cheered, nodding in agreement to the listless form beside him.

"Papa...you mean the ring leader?!" Marude exclaimed, quickly trailing after them "Don't kill him! We need him alive! After him! Go! Go! GO!"

The team turned with haste, following after the capricious investigator, running in high speed with a young boy in ratty clothing.

* * *

A lavish chamber stood out in the dreary underground with golden walls.

Polished marble floors, a glistening chandelier and a ruby red throne stood out in stark relief. The lead ghoul known as 'Papa' lie his grotesque form on the grand seat, bulbous fat hanging over the sides from his gut. A silk garment hung over the exposed flesh, acting as the only clothing. Liquid danced inside a crystal glass as swollen jeweled fingers stirred the cup. Standing on either side of him were two young men, his top scrappers and body guards.

Tall ornate doors burst open with the screams of ghouls; A snow haired man and a grey eyed boy walk casually inside. "Are you papa?" Suzuya asked, eyes also roving around the greatly contrasting room. "It would be good if you knew mama too."

The ghoul, caught off guard, gaped; if he had been smarter, he would have sensed the threat immediately and ordered his scrappers to kill...but as it was, it was the first time anyone had burst through his doors like that and he wondered more about who he was rather than his intentions; with such strength at his disposal, he could surely expand his territory and financial support...He would have the man captured, but first, he needed to catch him off guard; conversation always did that to people. "Who are you?"

"Me? Doesn't matter, does it? This guy has something to say before you die." Suzuya returned, stepping out of the way to reveal his young companion.

The ghoul narrowed his kakugan, inhaling; he knew that dejected look, the hollow stare, the trembling limbs; it was one of his _'children' _but this one was strong; he remembered, out of the 20 children he subjected to a man named Dr. Kanou and his experiments, this child had been the only one to survive; he had put a lot of money into making full proof human scrappers, ones that could handle his games and eventually _personal _ ministrations without kicking the bucket.

"Ah...My '_Little Fist'_, did you bring me this good man to add to our family?" He said sweetly, but the child knew better, the sweeter he spoke, the eviler his actions would be.

His hands shook, he was scared, if he had had any liquids in his body, he'd surely leak them all out onto the marbled space, in fact, part of him would like to do that, to defile the ghoul's place the way he defiled his life. He looked to his side at the investigator who seemed pretty intrigued by the large ghoul. Suzuya caught the subtle glance and nodded; he had learned that that made others feel calm, whenever he did that to Shinohara-san before a battle, the man stood taller, more confident.

He was right; the boy's back became straighter and he looked squarely at the giant. "I...I HATE YOU!" The screech bounced off of the walls and echoed, never losing the ferocity or the pain they conveyed; the ghoul's eyebrows twitched in response.

"What a naughty boy you're being Little Fist, come now..."

Silence graced the air for several moments, a tight and taut thread holding the weight of anger and impatience. "Is that all?" Suzuya asked, looking towards the boy, He shook his head...there was one thing he wanted to add; but he was fighting himself over whether to say it; it was more like he wanted to get the ghoul where it really hurt, but he also felt silly, what if papa just laughed at him? Still, his anger overpowered any doubts and he clenched his fists once more, squeezing for just a drop of courage.

"YOU STINK!"

Suzuya cheered "He does! Like spoiled broccoli and dead bodies! Gross!" Laughter funneled out of the white blonde until he was doubled over on the marbled floors. The large ghoul gaped, staring blankly at the two below him.

Egged on by his savior's support he took a few steps forward "And...YOU'RE FAT! LIKE A PIG!"

Suzuya gaped before bursting into another fit "He's like a pig that walks! like a pig that stands up! AHA!" The investigator rolled on the floor, tears glistening in his eyes.

"KILL THEM! KIIILLLL THEMMM BOOOOTTTH!"

The loud roar signaled the movement of the two scrappers, who charged the boy and Suzuya in high speed. The investigator easily dodged the two weapons trying to lay into him, cutting the blades to pieces with his quinke, the child clutched under one arm.

Powerful limbs collided with the weak scrappers and they flew to other sides of the walls, yelling in response to unnatural breaks. The investigator spun his scythe with a flourish, leaping towards the ghoul that now lay wide open, flesh exposed.

The large ghoul suddenly rose, thick legs from his rinkaku lifting his weight from the throne and carrying him towards the exit quickly. Suzuya stopped as side splitting laughter took hold of his body. "Octopus, its an octopus! a stinking octo-pig!" He exclaimed, willing his limbs to move against the torrent of emotion.

The investigator closed the gap in mere seconds, taking to the air with his scythe brandished overhead. "Say bye bye to papa." The investigator cooed...

"Bye bye...papa."

* * *

When Marude arrived in the throne room, he hung his head low in defeat. "I told you not to kill him!" He exclaimed, clearly disheveled from other battles.

Suzuya regarded him lightly, picking off the large rings from the dead ghoul's hands.

"Don't loot him!" Investigator Fuuka chided

Suzuya snorted "Its my catch, my kill, my stuff."

Fuuka shook his head

"Whose the brat? And why wasn't he with the other ones we found?" Marude asked, now inspecting the grey eyes and pale skin.

Suzuya looked down at the boy and put a hand around his shoulder, leaning down. "This, is my new partner."

As the phase of the raid termed 'Extract and Analyze' began, CCG agents littering the grounds, carrying away the few remaining criminals, taking samples for forensics, etc. Marude and his company headed for the surface, the smell of decay was making him nauseous. A sliver of pale moon shined triumphantly over the scene, the crisp night air a much needed reprieve from the noxious heat below.

A blanket found its way over the young boy's shoulders and a hot cup of coffee; he hated the stuff, but it released the stinging of his limbs. He watched as the investigators talked about various things, milking the white blonde for any information he recalled during his killing spree. When a compilation of detailed notes had been written, the investigator rose, stretching leisurely, throwing off his stained coat and shirt in place of a clean one issued by another agent.

Dousing his head with bottles of water, the crimson dye leaked from the silk strands to reveal the snow white shimmering under moonlight; he was beautiful, the boy thought, cheeks slightly flushing when his thought was followed by a look in his direction; could he read minds?

The investigator turned his sights towards his new fighting companion, extending a slender hand in partnership "You're coming to my house." Looking at Marude Itsuki as he went over paperwork "He's coming to my house."

Grey eyes watched the hand harmlessly extended and reached out cautiously; he wanted to trust this person, this powerful being that had destroyed his enemies and who seemed to understand him; and who was kind of funny.

"Itsuki-chan will fill out the paper work."

"I'll what?" Marude Itsuki barked, pulled from his intense focus on the raid's aftermath.

"Bye!"

Marude watched the two fade from sight, taking to the buildings like trained acrobats, using them for leverage, putting distance between themselves and the commotion.

Cheeks flushed red as he threw his clipboard to the ground in frustration. "Juuuzzzou!"


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

* * *

Suzuya smiled at the distant echo of the outburst, it was fun making the investigator mad; sure he'd get an earful tomorrow, but he was looking forward to it.

It was strange, but the investigator gave him something..._Someone_... to keep his days familiar and entertaining.

He couldn't count on Shinohara-san ever waking up, he wouldn't delude himself like most people, he was smarter than that, he had seen things.

But he _could_ count on seeing that man's face all scrunched up. He could count on that man to lecture and fuss, be angry and try to 'change' him for the better.

He could count on that man to let him keep his freedom and come for him if trouble arose...as it had.

He knew that the man would come and help him, even if he wasn't sure why.

After all, How _did_ he _know_?

Maybe this was the thing Shinohara-san had told him about, the thing where you put yourself at someone else's mercy. Shinohara-san didn't like that definition he had given, but had a name for it, He called it..._Trust._

He shook his head as the thought set his stomach to churning; He had never had time to _think_ before and he was discovering that it could be a bother.

The life he knew before left no room for the words that were now fluttering on the surface of his mind.

These words, these..._thoughts_, were his own self, he discovered.

They asked questions, they wondered.

His _thoughts_ told him to follow the boy, because..._He looks just like me_...He answered Marude's call because..._He will worry..._He was bringing the boy home because..._I can take care of him, like Shinohara-san..._

This new development left his head 'not quiet' anymore.

A small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth, it wasn't that bad; After all, the Suzuya without thoughts could never have so much fun.

* * *

The boom and cacophony of city life died down, as the distance between themselves and the urban terrain grew farther. The rush of speeding cars faded to a dull whisper, the muffled steps of night travelers, now accompanying the silence.

Grass chilled by evening breeze crunched underfoot as they approached the pearl white abode; appearing more like the dwellings for wealthy travelers and less like the domicile of a simple investigator.

Glass doors slid open at their presence, upon entering, a solitary hand raised in greeting to the security officer.

The elevator's ascent was felt in silence, neither of the companions breaking their tacit expressions... but it was not an uncomfortable silence, the boy thought. Butterflies were in his stomach, the events still did not feel real. Being rescued by a CCG investigator, someone extremely strong and fearless. Being taken from the dreary place and brought to a lavish looking apartment; He hoped he wasn't dreaming.

Not a sound was heard in the hallway as they approached Suzuya's room number; the silence augmented the nervousness inside of the rescued companion. The jingle of keys and a light turn, left an opening in the door clothed in shadow. The child stood there patiently in the dark, noting the clean aroma in the house; everything in its place, not a single incongruence; it was like a different person lived here.

"...Usagi..." The words were louder in the silence, he bit his lip, wishing he hadn't been so familiar. After all, this was a stranger, but he didn't know his name so...

Suzuya turned on his heel, eyes regarding the person he had brought with him in new found interest. "Juuzou Suzuya...call me whatever you like though." Then clarifying "Just not 'Rei-chan', I'll get mad if you do."

There was quiet and fidgeting on the boy's part. "Okay...then, Juu-nii..."Grey eyes peered quickly into the crimson pair, looking for acceptance before darting quickly to the side.

Suzuya turned, His attention on other things. "I don't mind that."

The boy stood in his place, watching the shadowed form dart around in the dark, the man removed his shoes, placing them by the door, then he removed his coat and placed it in the closet, then he heard the rush of water, the scrubbing of hands and finally the shock of bright light, stinging his eyes shut.

"That's better." Suzuya said, walking towards his frail companion, waiting at the door's entrance. "When we come inside, we take our shoes off...then we take our outside clothes off, then we wash our hands...Got it?"

A nod in response, confusion fluttering in the light eyes; Where was the person that just danced without a care in hordes of ghoul's blood?

Bony fingers removed the tattered garments hugging his ribcage; the warmth of carpet was pleasant on his blistered feet, it made the walk to the kitchen sink easier. "Juu-nii is really clean." He commented, watching as trails of bubbles and filth intertwined and streamed down the drain.

The investigator was rummaging through cabinets "It has to be this way, otherwise, I can't eat here, sleep here, or sit down here; It can't be anything like outside... it has to be..._different_."

_So the outside is dirty? _The boy thought

"Oh..." The child returned aloud, hands enveloped in a towel.

He stood now in the carpeted living room, taking in the dustless furniture, noting the lack of television, kitchen appliances and photos. Suzuya came from the back of the home, a long blue t-shirt in hand for him to wear; It hung on him loosely, revealing one shoulder, the fabric brushing against bruised knees.

A pleasant development arrived in the form of over sized socks; the fabric tore at the skin of his blisters and that was painful, but once all the way on they were comfy. In attire fit for the civilized, he spun slowly, careful of his wounds.

Suzuya watched the child with neither amusement or fascination but remembering; He too had been pleased when given real clothes to wear, more so when they said he could 'choose' to dress himself; he had taken that request pretty far.

"Sit down here and I'll bring food; then you'll answer all my questions." He said, walking towards the kitchen.

His stomach turned at the scent finally approaching him; when had his stomach last growled? He couldn't remember but it was both a pleasant and painful sensation. He sat before the table now, inhaling the billowing clouds from a hot bowl of soup. "Thank you, I like miso."

Suzuya nodded, a chocolate pocky stick his own meal for the evening and sat down across from him. He watched him casually, noting many things about him. First, he didn't look like he was from the area; not even from the country, his features were distinct...

Eager gulps of the liquid warmth left him feeling more alive; he was grateful for his companion to let him enjoy the meal before talking with him. Suzuya nodded in approval at the ruby flush that now graced the boy's cheeks and the bright shimmer in grey eyes now diving into his own with expectation. "We wash our own dishes."

The statement was met with instant action, bowl in hand the boy moved to the sink; _No hesitation in following orders_, Suzuya noted, this would be helpful in battle.

The two sat on a long couch now, staring across cushions at each other from either side. "What's your name?"

The small smile that had graced the boy's face vanished; perturbations turning the bright grey eyes to a stormy shade, "I...I can't say it, but I can write it."

Suzuya closed the distance between them and held out his hand. "Write it here then."

Characters woven onto his palm by the small finger, confirmed what Suzuya had thought before...He wasn't from here.

"Lucas?"

Eyes shut tight against the sound of his name; he didn't want to hear it, he couldn't bear to hear it...The name his mother called him, the name his father called him, the name that took him to a far away place, a time where everything was happy, everything was safe.

Small hands gathered the fabric of his shirt in a tight fist, creating a shield over his heart; a lone clear stream roamed down his cheek. "It hurts, Juu-nii, that name."

Suzuya reached out, brushing away the wayward tear "Why does it hurt? Isn't it just a word?"

The boy's eyes looked up into the inquiring gaze; No, this person wasn't like most people, his actions were different, his way of speaking was different, he couldn't expect him to behave like other people or understand. "Mom called me that and so did dad; I was happy then, so when I hear it now..." The recitation ended in silence, the pain of recollection being too much.

"Hm... Its sadness, right? when it hurts _here_." The larger hand rested over the small one still shielding his heart. Sighing into the warmth now blanketing his hand and chest he took a chance, leaning into the man. The contact visibly startled the investigator for a moment, before he extended his arms rigidly around him. "Uh...it goes like this, right?" Suzuya questioned, having seen it done many times but never having done it himself. "Y-yeah." The child replied, moving into the arms rather awkwardly himself.

The two stared blankly for a time, uncertainty plain in their rigid postures and awkward embrace.

"My heart's beating fast...but I'm not even fighting." Suzuya said lightly; He never noticed his body much, not when it felt good and not when it felt bad...it was just a thing, a tool he could use to destroy his enemies...and a canvas, to sew beautiful art into. However, this time, the rise in temperature, the beat of his heart, he noticed it.

"I'm getting sweaty, Juu-nii, you're warm." The boy whispered into the lean chest.

"Oh...that's okay, its almost bath time anyway." The two separated then. "That wasn't so bad...I've never done that kind of thing before...we should do it again...sometime." The investigator said

Light sparkled in the grey gaze. "Yeah! I like it to!...hu-hu-

A procession of clear droplets sprinkle white cushions, small hands rub at reddened eyes; the boy sobbed softly, his whimpers ascending into hysterical cries, piercing the peaceful quiet.

Warm hands made their way to the tuft of charcoal hair, caught in winding curls close to the child's head. "Your hair is nice." Suzuya said softly, in between the child's sobs.

Moments pass in silence and deep full sighs signal the end of the boy's release; eyes reddened and puffy glide up to the clear red eyes, not full of pity, remorse or empathy, but fully attentive and expectant. "S-sorry Juu-nii...I..."

Words are stopped by a large finger pressed lightly against his lips "We're partners, so you can do that with me. Fighting, crying, hugging, its okay, with me...but no one else, okay?"

"Okay."

Rising from his seat the investigator stretched "Hmm...If _Lucas_ hurts...then what to call you...What did your other papa call you?"

The boy sprung up from his seat, eager at the new direction of his inquiry "Papa called me _Shoukaki..._since my arms are small...but I'm strong!" He insisted, then saying quietly "...but I don't like that name..."

Suzuya nodded "Then...I guess I have to give you one..."

"Wha-

"Ponta...!" The name was said with surety, with excitement, with happiness; the child watched as the investigator said the words and the brightness that came to his eyes. He wasn't sure if the name was typical or even special, it sounded kind of silly...but it didn't matter, the name _Lucas _had become a symbol of pain and loss, the name _Shoukaki _was a symbol of slavery and bloodshed...

These names had become unpleasant symbols and yet...The investigator was giving him a name that he said with such brightness, that it sounded like the best name in the world; a new symbol, that said hugs and crying was okay and the pain in his heart didn't have to be put away..."Ponta." He mouthed silently, eyes glistening with liquid gratitude.

"Ponta!" The child cheered

Suzuya held out a fist, eyes fiery and excited "Thats your name, I gave it to you!" He stated with triumph "We're partners now, Ponta..."

The small hand reached out, brushing knuckles with the larger fist. "Partners!"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

* * *

A soft and natural melody, rang through the mouth of the underground; The echo of water, the droplets and trickles, flowing from the recesses of aging rock.

Within the peaceful cocoon, a figure moved quickly, clothed in dim light; a blur in the shadows.

"Giddy up!" Hide cheered quietly, keeping his voice a whisper to the ear in close proximity.

From their descent from the several story high building, to the current journey made in sculpted tunnels, Hide felt less like he rode on the back of his best friend and more like he rode the back of a rocket at mach speeds.

"Shh, Hide..." Kaneki chided "Your whisper could be a shout to any of the ghoul's down here."

How Hide could be enjoying the ride on his back was beyond Kaneki, but then again, that was Hide.

Kaneki left his thoughts in favor of the curious reactions taking hold in his friend.

Goosebumps rose on warm skin, hairs stood on the back of his neck; sweat pooled under his arms, pupils dilated.

Kaneki assessed the reactions taking place before him, trying to identify the cause.

_Its not fear _Kaneki thought, _it isn't adrenaline either_...

"Kaneki, go left...**now**."

Kaneki marveled, _So that's what it was_, he thought.

His senses had experienced it first hand.

It smelled like a mixture of excitement and adrenaline, a mixture of concentration and instinct.

...Hide's intuition.

"I'm on it." Kaneki said, responding in kind with focused action.

* * *

A ticking object rolls quickly into the path, halting the change in direction...

Flames erupt from the sudden bomb, sending the two flying into rock walls; clouds of black smoke and strange hued flames filling the air.

Senses straining through the sudden chaos, Kaneki scrambled on hands and knees, the toxic smoke, affecting even his lungs.

"Hide!" Kaneki yelled, the roar of angry flames drowning his call.

"Hide!"

Beings move quickly in the shadows of smoke, swarming him suddenly; His kagune is out instantly, guarding for the impending attack.

At this point, the two sides of himself should be at war; One side screaming to abandon the fight and find his friend, the other seeking vengeance by consuming his enemies in a frenzy.

Today, However, Kaneki felt no such conflict.

Though his senses were muddled, he was angry and agitated, the fact of the matter was, he didn't smell Hide's blood, their assailants were small in number, and they weren't giving off powerful auras.

Yes he was surrounded, but that meant Hide wasn't the target, and he reminded himself that Hide did _technically _have his arm to defend himself with.

In the past he was sure he'd react differently; but he had control now.

He whipped his kagune erratically, quickly creating a fan to direct the smoke faster to the vents above.

The area cleared, much to the aggravation of the hooded combatants, but Kaneki could sense now that Hide wasn't in the area and that the air was clean enough for him to breathe.

"Who are you working for." Kaneki demanded

"We don't answer to you! Half blood scum." Spat one of the hooded figures.

_Half blood? _Kaneki thought, _They know who I am?_

"Idiot! Now he know's something's up!" Barked another of the group

"Were you sent to capture me or kill me?" Kaneki questioned; if they were expecting him, then it could mean that the disappearances, the crimes...everything was a set up; Something to get the IRF involved en masse and hopefully, to lure him in.

It was a foolish gamble, Kaneki thought, so whoever it was, had an interest in him that far outweighed their fear of the IRF's Regulators.

"Neither of those scenarios will turn out well for you, but if you answer me truthfully, I'll follow you to your leader on my own." Kaneki added, Now that he wasn't overcome by the need to go beserk, he could negotiate...Ito-san would be proud.

This group, from scent and sound, told Kaneki that they were nothing more than novices like his own team.

The response of the group is interrupted by the sure steps of a large man; _Now this is a ghoul with experience _Kaneki thought.

His senses were quickly on the object the ghoul dragged precariously by its one arm, the other on the being, unnaturally hanging limp.

"It don't matter now, half blood, we got yer friend here!...do as we say and we won't hurt him too much." The ghoul jeered, pointing to his partner who did the dragging.

Kaneki assessed Hide in one inhale, Hide was very much awake and playing possum.

That was smart; Had he been found awake he'd be forced unconscious and who knew how much damage that would have done.

Though the injuries were minimal as he thought they'd be, Hide's dislocated arm was a problem; _That_ was done intentionally, most likely to gauge whether he was truly awake.

That meant Hide had to endure the pain of that and what kind of friend would he be if he let it go unpunished? He had already failed by not picking up on the bomb.

"Which one of you pulled his arm from its socket like that?" Kaneki asked lightly, ignoring the other's threat.

"You hard of hearing?! I said we have yer precious meat sack! Right here!" The ghoul barked, signaling for his companion to dangle the bruised form.

"...So, was it you?" Kaneki pressed

"Yeah, I did it! What's i-

'Plop'

The large ghoul's head rested gently on the ground, a shower spouting organic fluid from the exposed neck.

Kaneki smiled inside; decapitations were growing to be his favorite. Caught in a moment of psychotic satisfaction, his human side screamed him to coherency:

_Hide! _

_He'll see! He'll see it! _

_That we kill! We'll taint him! We'll taint him!_

Despite the fact that Hide had already seen him as a monster and been victim to his madness, That was when he was an armored dragon, large and completely inhuman.

To see him commit acts of violence in the form that he knew, the human looking form, the 'Kaneki' looking form, was something he did _not_ want him to see or even infer.

He shot a leg out from his rinkaku, wrapping around his companion's torso and pulling him in before the shower spraying haphazardly, made its last spurts on an unsuspecting form.

Hide wiggled in the grasp, eyes slowly opening to see the black band covering his friend's eyes.

"Uh, personal space?" Hide said lightly; His body ached and his arm was numb...Seeing Kaneki was a relief, but this close was kind of..."Not really in the mood to cuddle, man."

In the several seconds Hide had to endure 'Close up-with Kaneki Ken' Kaneki's kagune moved with lightning speed to shove the decapitated being under debris and send the head careening into the darkness of another tunnel. The young assailants, still overcome with shock, stood dumbfounded at the quick maneuverings, finding themselves helpless as the same legs pushed them to one side of the tunnel.

Kaneki sighed "Sorry Hide, I just, really missed you, that's all." He finished, releasing his friend, but not before using his kagune to pop the arm back in its place.

"Thanks, I was really-

Wait!

Kaneki broke out in a cold sweat. "Y-yes, Hide?"

"What happened to that other guy? And why is this guy covered in blood?" Hide questioned; now that the pain was gone, his senses were a lot clearer and he was sure he was missing something.

"Well, that guy murdered his partner and um-I

"And who are they?" He pressed, watching as the young hooded figures stood lifeless in the corner.

"Uh...So much happened during the explosion, who can really say?" Kaneki rattled off

"Let's just go, these guys said they'll take us to their leader." He added, motioning to the figures who sprung to action.

"Y-yeah! We'll, we'll take you..." One of the figures said, moving to the forefront.

Hide looked around, at his best friend sneaking looks at him, to the tremors of fear in the ghoul's bodies, to the trail of urine leaking from the blood covered ghoul.

"Yeah, right."

* * *

The two followed the group deeper into the underground, the sounds of breath and light steps being the only noise. What started off as a brisk walk, soon increased to a fervent sprint.

"Why are we running? You better not be up to anything!" Hide gasped, struggling to keep up.

Kaneki slowed enough to get beside him, reaching out his hand. "This is a ghoul's pace, Hide...they were being kind by going slow but I told them to pick up the pace, We need to put distance between us and the ghoul that died; the scent will travel, we'll be found out soon."

Hide grabbed the hand reaching out to him, letting his feet be carried by the faster pace.

Kaneki wasn't worried about the direction they were headed; He could tell that the young captors knew they were in way over their heads. His only concern was the ghoul whose partner he killed, for now he was coming to his senses, the catatonic episode slowly fading.

In the mean time, Kaneki inhaled deeply, his senses taking in the new surroundings.

He caught the scent of various metals, each aging at a different pace...some by decades, some by centuries.

The rock floor was smooth, the air smelled crisp, the water beneath the ground was clean and made a soothing melody as it trickled...This was _not_ the 'Underground' he had expected.

Their travels led them to a large vaulted door that smelled of bronze.

With strange maneuvers, the bronze door opened into a great wide tunnel, cylindrical in shape and lined with doors.

Some were made of little more than wood scraps, others were made of metal and some were completely barred.

The ground beneath his feet felt like sidewalk and there were miles of space above their heads seeming to stretch beyond.

A single enormous opening stood above, light and air pouring through, shining moonlight on the catacomb like neighborhoods.

In the space above the cylindric tunnel, other doors stood out in the face of the stone walls; establishments similar to those above ground, from stores to cafes, built into the rock.

Space in the face of the stone walls acted as perpendicular alleys, each connected by mechanized ladders, creating a constant maze; a feat of architectural madness.

Depressions in the stone face told him that many used their kagune to scale the walls and get into places.

Needing no further tour, he hoisted his friend onto his back, diving into the nearest alley and ascending the wall.

"What's going on?" Hide barked, surprised by the sudden detour.

"Meeting their leader isn't our priority." Kaneki said "They knew I was half ghoul...that means their leader might know about my past, the interest is personal."

"So why don't we go and find out what he knows?" Hide asked

Having some destination, was better than wandering around; Not that he didn't trust his friend's instincts, but they weren't like his _instincts. _

Funny, that as a human he should be thinking that about a ghoul; He was sure Kaneki would think it amusing.

"...because, this isn't about me, Hide, We're still on a mission; to find out where the people who've gone missing are and why they disappeared. Our team is out there working towards that cause, We need to be doing the same." Kaneki replied

He had his entire life to chase down obsessive ghouls and creeps...but this was the only time he could really prove to himself that he had grown and that he _did _have the strength to protect those he cared about.

Hide smiled "Hai hai...So, where do we go boss?"

Kaneki relaxed "I'm following my nose...there was a strange scent."

"That could be anything, man, Are you sure you know where it's at?" Hide asked

Kaneki shook his head "Never underestimate my nose kagune."

Hide laughed "Your what?"

He continued to follow his nose, traversing the stone jungle until it led to a cafe.

Entering through the wooden door, he ignored the few customers sipping lightly from fragrant cups.

The scent of coffee beans and pastries was comforting, but he could easily tell the over powering aromas, were used to mask the scent coming from below.

"Hey! You can't come back here!" The manager barked, standing in front of himself and Hide.

Removing the black sleeve, Kaneki revealed the metal band around his shoulder; displaying his affiliation with the IRF and their purpose for being there.

"I'm an agent with the IRF's night squad." He announced "Several units will be on this place soon, So if you have something to hide, I suggest you leave now. As _Vanguard_, I have the right to explore any area within this route, that includes this cafe."

Light wood scraping resounded as the few patrons rose from their seats and headed for the door.

"Are you really with the IRF?" The manager asked quietly.

Scent and profuse sweating told Kaneki the ghoul was in fear, but of _what_ is what he wanted to know.

Receiving confirmation, the man visibly relaxed, wiping the sweat from his brow and exhaling deeply; He seemed relieved at the news. Turning to a tray of clouded glasses, the man pulled a white clothe from his apron, polishing them one by one, as if the two figures were no longer there.

"The door at the end of the hall."

* * *

**A/N: **Now that the creative juices are flowing once again, you should see three new chapters in only a few weeks, maybe days if it keeps up. Its really a pain when I have that moment when the movie stops and I can't see where the characters are going or how the plot develops; they stand still, as if in a picture and then one day...BOOM! Their moving and talking again and I can barely keep up. lol

I never know exactly what a chapter will be about or who the new characters will be until they show up in the scene; I know, its weird...but I never abandon a story...and I'm taking my time considering I technically have a three year period of storyline before I have to merge with Tokyo Ghoul re:

Which I have every intention of doing ;)


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

* * *

The two plowed down the long stretch of hallway, dark wood doors flanking the two sides.

At the end of the hall lie a door of the same kind, distinct only in its metal material and the addition of a key pad; a security measure to thwart unwarranted entry.

Kaneki turned to Hide "Can you-?

"Already on it." Hide replied, removing a pin from his pocket.

Sliding the thin instrument into the crevice of the keypad's screen, he lifted it with little effort, revealing a series of connectors and wires. Pulling out a PDA, he linked the two with a wire and began typing. The displaced screen shined green, undoing the lock and freeing the door.

After replacing the screen they entered, submerged in dim lighting as they descended the stairs.

"What did you do, Hide?" Kaneki whispered; After all, what he heard sounded like something he'd seen in spy movies.

Hide grinned "Impressed?"

"I just sent a program that causes deactivation for maintenance; courtesy of the IRF." He replied

As they reached the bottom of the stairway, Kaneki was overcome by the scent that had caused their detour.

An archway revealed a laboratory like space; dark save for a large screen at the front displaying white noise.

Individuals clothed in protective white suits, sat side by side, row by row, in front of long metallic tables that spanned the entire room.

Hide watched as the suited persons handled a neon blue substance; the viscosity being a cross between powder and gel.

The substance gave the room an ethereal blue glow, the actions of the workers, almost catatonic. He watched as they took the substance, prepared it, molded it, and packaged it in small clear cubes...continuing on down the line like factory workers, where the last person boxed and marked the product, setting it on an empty pallet.

"Is that the stuff you smelled?" Hide asked; checking for any signs of cameras.

"Ah." Kaneki replied, taking note of the stifling silence and puppet like movements. He sensed no other presences around them and found it strange there were no guards.

"Where's security?" Hide asked, following Kaneki as he walked in the room.

"They probably don't need it, look, they're like zombies."

The two walked the circumference of the room, looking for any signal that would put them on someone's radar or lead them into a trap. Finding none, Kaneki approached the enthralled workers, moving close to catch the scent through their protective suits.

"Haruki...Ako...?" Kaneki said slowly

"You know her? "Hide asked, watching his friend gain an epiphany.

"Not personally, but I recognize this scent, I have all of them memorized..." Kaneki replied

"...you mean the missing persons." Hide said.

"Yeah."

"I'll pull up a list of all the disappearances, Let me know if they're here." Hide said

"Sumire Takuya."

"...Yes..."

"Shun Watanuki?"

"...Yes..."

"Kikuri Ohana..."

"Yes..."

Confirming the missing individuals from the list, Kaneki proceeded to make contact with headquarters; He breathed a sigh of relief.

His mind had been on the fate of the disappeared for several weeks and he had prepared his mind to see broken souls, tortured bodies, and perhaps several dead corpses, rotting and stripped bare of all their meat.

He didn't relish telling families they would never see their loved ones again, worse, he didn't relish finding out that there was no one to mourn the loss or anyone that cared.

The fact that they were just being used as workers was such a relief; he couldn't be happier. He had managed to rescue them, _before _things got dark..._before_ they were broken..._before_ they became like him.

And a part of him wished someone would have gotten to him sooner; that as he lie strapped to a chair bruised and hurt, someone would have reached him... before the second set of toes grew back, before the centipede made its way to his ear...

* * *

"Kaneki!" Hide called from across the room.

Looking over the work station, he found a lone computer; Overriding the password prompt, he proceeded to perform a memory dump. As the information scrolled across the screen, the sight before them began to make more sense.

"What is it, Hide?" Kaneki asked, now standing behind him.

"Well, I know you can't see it, but that blue stuff is a drug; its called 'Bc3' or '_Blue child_'." "Apparently its a drug made for ghouls."

"That explains why humans are preparing it...and why there aren't any ghouls around." Kaneki said

Perhaps he was alright because apart of him was still human, but who knows what a ghoul could become like if exposed to it.

"...it doesn't explain why the humans are acting strange though." Hide said; Was it the effect of 'Bc3' on humans? To make them submissive?

"You're probably right, Hide." Kaneki interrupted

"About what?" Hide said

"It's probably why the humans are like that." Kaneki said

Hide blinked, momentarily stumped "...but, I didn't say that out loud to you, did I?"

"Oh, no...you didn't say it." Kaneki said

"Then..."

"Sometimes, I hear an echo from your arm, the one with my cells, to _my_ arm; its a feeling. That feeling makes me think of things I don't usually think about." Kaneki confessed

"What are you talking about?"

"They're things that you think, Hide." He finished

The admission made sense to him in the time it took to blink "So that's where you got the whole 'nose kagune' thing from! I knew I never told you!" Hide barked

When he first heard him say it, he was shocked, what are the odds they both had the same name for Kaneki's sharp nose?

It had been a silent joke with himself ever since the day he took him around the town.

He figured since Kaneki didn't have sight but could now see better with his nose, ears and other senses, that maybe his rinkaku would become obsolete and he'd sprout membranes from his nose to fight...thus the term 'nose kagune'.

Every time he thought of the image of snot like extensions, flailing from his friend's face, he couldn't contain himself; even his darkest moments could be lightened by the thought.

Still, the fact that Kaneki knew about it now...

"Did your arm tell you how I came up with the name?" Hide asked cautiously

"No, it doesn't say anything, its a feeling I interpret; I get the idea that you probably see my nose as some kind of weapon since its so on point." Kaneki said; He would keep the part about him sprouting rinkaku from his nose to himself, there's no way Hide was that silly; its clearly something he himself, his human self, would think of and he couldn't risk saying it and looking weird.

Kaneki turned his thoughts to other things. "I've never heard of _Blue child _in Tokyo, not even in the underground... is it exclusively for Luna?" He asked

"I've never heard of it either and it doesn't say here, maybe its a new drug." Hide replied

Kaneki reached for his armlet, intending to contact headquarters, when a hand stopped him.

"What is it?"

"We might catch heat for abandoning our route." He replied

Kaneki shook his head "...but we found the missing persons, Hide."

"Or...Is this your intuition talking?" He added

Hide nodded; it pleased him to no end that his friend would abandon all else at the simple understanding it was _his_ 'intuition'; it took trust to do that, a trust that bordered child like.

And it was probably this constant belief that nurtured his ability and allowed him to be the great 'detective' he was today; because someone believed in him wholeheartedly.

It was one of the many reasons he could never abandon him.

Hide smiled "And if it is?"

Kaneki turned his head curiously to the side "Isn't it obvious?"

Hide was startled by the gesture, cheeks flushing a bright shade of red. _So cute! _He thought, then grinning "Of course! Follow the great detective!"

Kaneki laughed, resting a hand on his shoulder in support. "Ah."

Instead of contacting HQ directly, Hide opted to contact one of the few people who would help him out unequivocally.

"Abe Saito? That's your contact?" Kaneki barked; He never could stand the ghoul, not since his episode in the abandoned sector, not since he offered Hide the operation and not since he wanted to add him to his list of 'human' friends.

Hide didn't need any other ghoul friend's but himself; no one else could be trusted...in Kaneki's eyes, they were all out for a meal and no one could tell him otherwise.

"Relax man." Hide said, sensing the displeasure. "Or should we call...what's his name, the _Puppet Master_."

"Who?"

"...Mm, you probably know him as Ito Oshiro." Hide continued "Some of the guys in _Intel_ were telling me about him. He's fine now, but he's got a genius ability to use hypnotism; He used it to murder 100 ghouls; men and women. He never even touched them, that's why he got the name."

Kaneki sighed, knocking him lightly on the head "Don't gossip Hide; everyone has a past and something to hide...I would have liked for Ito-san to tell me himself."

Hide looked contrite "Sorry."

* * *

The IRF Headquarters is bustling; even in the dead of night.

Abe Saito sat in his office, a shifting gaze scanning documents.

He would always prefer to be out in the field or actively working with trainees, but today, he was on assignment.

Regrettably so, because tonight were squad missions and he wanted to be apart of it; to lead and delegate and assist..._not_ sit behind a desk.

He also had his eye on the inner workings of the underground, but could never get approval for his intervention. Apparently that was under another D level agent's control, and that agent was running a year long investigation with moles in prominent positions.

The ghoul scoffed; it was precisely that attitude that lead to a year long wait...His motto was simple; swift action bred swift results.

To prevent him from getting any ideas, the Director, or as he knew her, Inoue-sama, had put him on desk duty for the night, evaluating the written and math portions of potential applicants.

Not feeling too pleased with the state of things, he perked at the sight of his ID, reading that a 'Nagachika Hideyoshi' or as he put in his contact 'Naga-kun' was calling.

"...Nagachika-kun?"

"Sai-chan!" Hide chirped, grateful he had the ghoul's personal line.

_Sai-chan? _Kaneki grumbled

"It's so late...Is everything alright? You weren't put on night shift were you?"

Hide laughed "Uh...no, but somehow I'm apart of it now...I need your help, Kaneki and I."

Eyebrows raised lightly at the name "Ah, so Kaneki is with you...and how is my favorite pupil?...Has he properly thawed yet?" The ghoul purred

Kaneki grimaced at the ghoul's allusion towards the 'icy hell' he had to endure with him weekly. "I'm _fine_ and...doing well."

The agent gave a thoughtful pause before replying "If Naga-kun is in good health and you've come far enough that you require my assistance...I'd say you're doing very well, Kaneki; congratulations on keeping your head thus far."

Kaneki stood surprised at the ghoul's response; it was the equivalent of a gold star in kindergarten...he wouldn't forget it.

"Kaneki is the squad leader for tonight's mission and his team is down here as we speak carrying out the IRF's plan. Based on my suggestion, we took a detour, had a run in with some attackers that knew Kaneki, and now we're in a drug lab full of missing people who are being programmed to make the drug." Hide said

Abe Saito sat back in his chair, staring at the ceiling.

In satisfaction? pleasure? gratitude?

All of these, in fact; it seemed his silent lament about boring evenings and longings for the underground were heard.

"Ah, Hideyoshi-kun, once again you have made my dull day promising. That is quite a lot of things you're into...I'll do everything I can, just tell me what you need."

"A team to contain the drug and analyze it; a human team preferably, this drug is made for ghouls and we don't know the effects it could have." Kaneki said

"We also need someone to retrieve all the missing...and they might be under the influence of something so they'll need to be evaluated by a medical team." Hide added

"Then there's my team that are in routes 1, 3, 5 and 6...I'd like you to send additional agents to get them." Kaneki said

"Why can't you go to them?" Abe Saito questioned

"...because, I have someone I must meet down here." He replied, thinking of the group that called him 'half blood' and the plot to capture him.

"Is it a solo mission?" Hide asked; already knowing the answer, but needing to hear it to keep himself from following in secret.

"Yes, Hide...So no playing tracker or master spy."

Hide grinned "But of course, my captain."

" I'll dispatch my team right away to handle things and have a unit of my two best to retrieve Hideyoshi-kun." Abe replied

"Be on the look out for dark red uniforms, they're my men...

... and Kaneki?..." The agent continued

"Yes?"

"Whoever you might meet down there, whatever they might say...Remember, you're not the same person you were when you first got here."

...

A moment of recollection washed over him, flooding his mind with everything that had happened in days and months since his arrival; every trial, every joy.

"You're right..." He replied, grasping firmly the confidence he felt inside; Ready to face the mystery that lie deep in the tunnels.


End file.
